By Freddie Lazaro
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- Joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and police have arrested four young professionals in an interdiction operation in Bontoc, Mountain Province on Monday.
Director Edgar S. Apalla, the regional director of PDEA- Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), identified the arrested four young professionals as Edward Francis Chan Cea, 26, freelance graphic artist and a resident of Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Jericho Perez, 22, entrepreneur and a resident of Bagong Silang, Caloocan City; a 29-year old female call center agent who is a resident of Calamba, Laguna; and a 30-year old female former HR Officer residing at Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
He said that confiscated from the group were 24 bricks of dried marijuana leaves and four tubular form dried marijuana leaves having a total estimated weight of 26 kilos.
The illegal hemp, worth P650,000.00, were to be transported and sold by the group to drug users in the lowlands.
He said the suspects will be facing a case for violation of Republic Act Number 9165 or the "Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002" and this will be filed before the proper authorities.