A court employee and a female education student were arrested by elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in a drug den in Butuan City, early morning of August 13, 2011 by virtue of a search warrant.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S Gutierrez, Jr. identified the suspects as Allan Patrick Atup, a 38 year-old stenographer of Butuan Regional Trial Court Branch 4 and residing at Lot 9, Block 29, Emily Homes Subdivision, Barangay Libertad, Butuan City; and Kira Mae Pabia, a 22-year old resident of Barangay Tolosa, Cabadbaran City, Agusan Del Norte.
Atup and Pabia were caught by operatives of PDEA Regional Office 13 (PDEA RO13) after having a pot session in a unit in Galareon Residence, Purok 2, Lopez Jaena Ext., Barangay Tansang Sora, Butuan City. Four empty plastic sachets with traces of crystalline substance and assorted drug paraphernalia were recovered in the unit, allegedly owned by Atup and utilized as a drug den.
Atup and Pabia, whose urine samples both tested positive for drug use, are presently detained in PDEA RO13 detention facility. Atup now faces charges for violation of several provisions of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2001: maintenance of a den (Section 6), possession of drug paraphernalia (Section 12), drug use (Section 15) and criminal liability of government officials and employees (Section 28). On the other hand, Pabia was charged for visiting a drug den (Section 7) and drug use (Section 15).
In a related development, Atup’s supplier identified as Junay Ondaraan, alias Tagupi, and cohort, Almiron Lumigis, alias Olo, and Dustin Legaspi, alias Dodong, were apprehended during an operation conducted by PDEA RO13 in Barangay San Ignacio, Butuan City, on August 15, 2011, five days after the arrest of Atup and Pabia. Confiscated from the suspects were .24 grams of shabu.
Meanwhile, another search warrant implemented by PDEA RO13 in Purok 5, Barangay Libunan, Madrid, Surigao resulted in the arrest of Marites Palza, 41 years old, married, and jobless. Twenty sachets of shabu, assorted drug paraphernalia and one unit 357 magnum revolver with five cartridges were recovered from the house. Plaza is charged with possession of dangerous drugs (Section 11) and is presently detained at the Madrid Police Station in Surigao. Evangeline DJ Almenario, Chief, Public Information Office, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
