Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in a drug buy-bust operation in barangay Calamba, Cebu City, Sunday night.
The boy was caught after he sold one small sachet of suspected shabu for P200 to an undercover police agent.
Cebu City Intelligence Branch Chief Romeo Santander said the boy was arrested after neighbors complained about his activities.
The teenager was identified a the supplier of drugs to out-of-school youths in his neighborhood.
Senior Insp. Chuck Barandog, Deputy Chief of CIB, said they recovered P20 bills worth P1,300 and the P200 marked money used for the buy-bust, as well as sachets of shabu estimated to be worth P13,000.
Barandog said the boy admitted to earning P10,000 daily, with his illegal trade.
In an interview, the boy told CDN that his parents were aware of his activities. He said they talked him out of the business at first but let him be when he started earning and helping the family in its daily needs.
The boy’s father is a taxi driver while his mother is a housewife.
The arrested youth is the youngest of four siblings, who had no permanent jobs.
“I felt that I needed to do it because of our situation. I need to do something for the family,” he said.
The minor, who was engaged in drug selling for four months before the arrest, said a contact from Guadalupe supplied him with drugs, which he would pay in full after they were disposed.
Police said they will look into the role of the boy’s parents and coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development in filing charges against the boy for violating of the Anti-Dangerous Drugs Act. correspondents carine asutilla, rhea ruth rossel, chito aragon