PDEA ARRESTS MINORS DURING SEARCH WARRANT OPERATION

Two minors, both aged 14 years old and reportedly live-in partners, were arrested by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during a search warrant operation in Butuan City on October 6, 2011.

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez, Jr. said that the young couple shall remain under the custody of Butuan City Social Welfare and Development Office, while serving their intervention program. Since they are minors, their names were withheld by the authorities.

Operatives of PDEA Regional Office 13 (PDEA RO13) served the said warrant at the suspects’ rented apartment in P-3, Obrero St., Obrero, Butuan City. The warrant was against the girl, together with her stepdad, identified as Manie Cindy Camid. However, Camid was nowhere in sight and now at-large.

Camid was the subject of the search warrant for violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Drug Den), while the pair is facing criminal charges for violation of Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II, Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The young couple, with the girl three months pregnant, was apprehended after operatives recovered from them eight pieces of heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu and two pieces of empty sachets containing traces of shabu.

Gutierrez revealed that there is a rising arrest rate among minors for drug-related offense, noting that this year alone, 127 minors have already been apprehended. He said that from 2003 to date, a total of 900 minors, aged seven to 17, were arrested for violation of the anti-drug law. Evangeline DJ Almenario, Chief, Public Information Office, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency