3 women busted for drug pushing

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents arrested three women in separate buy-bust operations in Zamboanga City and Bayugan City on Wednesday.

PDEA Director General Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. identified the suspects as Nerissa Castillo, 42, and Rose Ann Loculan, 24, both residents of Zamboanga City; and Nyra Ayawon of Bayugan City.

Agents from the PDEA Regional Office 9 (PDEA RO9) under Director Adzhar Aidarus Albani arrested Castillo in an entrapment operation in Barangay Upper Calarian after she sold a plastic sachet of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to an undercover agent.

A body search on Castillo yielded drug paraphernalia and a cellular phone allegedly used in drug transactions, the PDEA said.

Another entrapment operation conducted by PDEA RO9 in the same barangay resulted in the arrest of Loculan in her residence after she sold a plastic sachet of shabu to an agent who posed as a buyer. Loculan also yielded drug paraphernalia.

The PDEA will bring illegal-drug charges against Castillo and Loculan.

In Bayugan City, agents from PDEA RO13 under Director Joel Plaza arrested Ayawon in a buy-bust operation on Durian Street, Barangay Taglatawan, after she sold two plastic sachets of shabu to an agent.

Confiscated from Ayawon were a cellular phone allegedly used for drug transactions, a pair of scissors, and the money from the sale, the PDEA said.

Ayawon is detained at the PDEA RO13 office, facing illegal-drug charges.