BACOLOD CITY – The son of a mayor and two others were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay 6, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental Wednesday, August 17.

Police Lt. Col. Jesus Mesahon Jr., San Carlos City police chief, identified the suspects as Nestor Era Jr., 40, son of Calatrava, Negros Occidental Mayor Marilyn Era; Chito Atienza, 46, of Barangay 6 and a suspected drug pusher, and Rosalia Nemenzo, 60, of Calatrava.
Nestor and Nemenzo were inside when police swooped down on the house of Atienza, a street level individual and the subject of the operation.
Police recovered from Atienza 10 sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia while Nemenzo and Era, a resident of Calatrava, allegedly yielded two sachets of suspected shabu and an aluminum foil and a sachet of suspected shabu, respectively.
Mesahon said the recovered illegal drugs weighing 15 grams were valued at P102,000.
Police Lt. Ruby Aurita, spokesperson of the San Carlos City police station, said according to Nestor, he just took temporary shelter at Atienza’s house since it was raining while Nemenzo was hired by Atienza to do his laundry.
Aurita said that Nestor is not part of their drugs watchlist but he is reportedly a drug user based on information from the Calatrava police while Nemenzo was allegedly a habitual user of illegal drugs. Both are street level individuals, she added.
Aurita said that Atienza was previously arrested for a drug offense but they are checking how he was able to get out of jail.
The suspects have yet to be reached for comment. Mayor Era also couldn’t be reached for comment despite several attempts.