Couple Arrested for Allegedly Selling Shabu with Children Present
ILOILO CITY – In a shocking turn of events, a couple was arrested for allegedly selling shabu while accompanied by their three children. The incident happened during a buy-bust operation conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) in Barangay Jalandoni Estate, Lapuz, Iloilo City on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
According to Police Captain Val Cambel, the team leader of CDEU, Yvone Francisco, 34, a resident of Barangay Alalasan, Lapuz, was caught selling a plastic sachet of shabu worth Php 5,000 to a police posuer-buyer. Her husband, Ritz Gardose, 35, a resident of Barangay Bolilao, Mandurriao, was also arrested during the operation.
The police recovered a total of 20 grams of shabu worth Php 136,000 from the suspects, who were considered Street Level Individuals. The couple’s three minor children were temporarily placed under the custody of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCDP) of the LaPaz Police Station.
The arrest of the couple has caused a stir in the community, especially after the children were found to be present during the alleged drug transaction. Residents were moved to tears upon seeing the children crying as their parents were being taken into custody.
The couple now faces charges under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The police have yet to determine the source of the drugs in the area and are conducting further investigations.
