Cops arrest 18 in pot session

Eighteen youngsters aged 15 to 24 were arrested Thursday for allegedly smoking marijuana inside an abandoned house in barangay Umapad in Mandaue City.

The group included five girls aged 15 years old and another one aged 17.

Policemen entered the house in sitio Limonsito, barangay Umapad, after receiving a tip that a pot session was going on.

SP01 Rolando Blancoco said Mandaue police seized a small plastic bag of dried marijuana leaves, 39 packs of dried marijuana leaves, two half-consumed marijuana sticks and some paraphernalia.

The minors were turned over to social workers.

The others were detained and will be charged with violation of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Umapad barangay captain Nelson Rubio said that after what happened, he would enforce the curfew ordinance for minors passed by the Mandaue City Council last April.

The curfew was adopted by the city’s 27 barangays.

Based on the ordinance, minors are not allowed to be on the streets from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. unless they are accompanied by their guardians.

Curfew violators will be reprimanded on the first offense. A second offense carries a fine of P200. On the third offense, a violator has to pay a P500 fine and do a day of community service.

Rubio said the youngsters had been renting the house.

This developed after barangay tanods began rounding up youngsters loitering in dark areas in the barangay.

Rubio said he received reports that the youngsters were members of the Crips gang.

The owner of the house occupied by the youths had earlier moved out.

Rubio said he would ask the owner to demolish the vacant house. WITH REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS AND CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA