Six drug traders caught while in pot session inside Baguio inn


BAGUIO CITY -- Six drug personalities including two high value targets and four street level individuals were arrested while taking part in a pot session inside a lodging inn on Magsaysay Avenue on Friday night, June 24.

Photo via Zaldy Comanda

The raid was conducted by joint elements from Baguio City Police Office-Station 2 and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera.

Col. Glenn Lonogan, city director, identified the two HVTs as Juvilyn Reca Plaza, 36, massage therapist and a resident of No. 60 Upper P. Burgos, Baguio City and Mia Jane Noquilla Postre, 29, massage therapist, and a resident of Green Valley, Baguio City.

The four SLIs caught in the pot session were Joseph Castano, 48, butcher and a resident of No. 3 Chicken Section, Hanger Market, Baguio City; Paterson Anciano Domaino, 23, massage therapist and a resident of Green Valley, Baguio City; Bonsay Galman Ocampo, 36, beautician and a resident of Sablan, Benguet and Rodel Sachez Buhay, 23 and a resident of Balsigan, Baguio City.

According to Lonogan, the police and PDEA conducted a buy-bust operation inside the LL Lodge around 8:00 p.m. on two HVTs and while the transaction was being conducted, one of the suspects ran towards a room and the police caught the four in the same room where a pot session was taking place.

The raiders seized from the suspects a small heat sealed transparent plastic sachet containing shabu weighing five grams with Standard Drug Price of P34,000.00 (subject of sale) and five small transparent plastic sachets containing a total of 15.4 grams of shabu with SDP of P104,720.00.

Police also recovered 15 pieces of one thousand peso bill boodle money; five pieces of assorted cellular phones; three improvised plastic tooters; six assorted lighters; assorted pieces of used aluminum foils; two pieces of scissors; one small black leather pouch; two pieces of plastic containers and one color dark brown sling bag.

It was found that the two arrested HVTs voluntarily surrendered in 2016 during the height of Oplan Tokhang, while four individuals admitted using and selling shabu in the rented room of the lodge which started in April 2022 as livelihood.

The suspects were charged with violating Republic Act 9165 Sec.5 (Selling), Sec. 6 (Maintenance of Drug Den), Sec. 7 (Visitors and employees of Drug den), Sec. 11 (Possession of Illegal Drugs), and Sec 12 (Possession of illegal drug paraphernalia).