Operatives from the Police Regional Office 7 and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency seize P170 million worth of shabu (crystal meth) and arrest a mother and her son at a pier in Cebu City on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Photo from PRO 7)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Two suspects, said to be a mother and her son, were caught allegedly possessing shabu (crystal meth) valued at P170 million at Pier 5 of Cebu City on Thursday, Jan. 23.
The Police Regional Office 7 (PRO 7 in Central Visayas) reported that authorities were alerted on Wednesday late evening about a vehicle said to be transporting illegal drugs on a ship coming from Masbate.
The team that joined the tracking of the suspects鈥� movements included PRO 7 and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Upon arriving at the port of Masbate, the two suspects allegedly tried to avoid the K9 unit inspection conducted by the PDEA.
PRO7 Regional Director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan told reporters in Camp Crame via phone interview that the operatives apprehended the two suspects at around 7 a.m. on Thursday.
During the operation, law enforcers discovered 25 kilograms of shabu in a garbage bag inside a brown box.
The police spot report identified the suspects as Edward Roche Loga, a 41-year-old resident of Isabel, Leyte; and Edna Roche Loga, a 63-year-old resident of Ermita, Cebu City.
鈥淟umalabas sa ating inisyal na pagtatanong ay mag-ina itong dalawang suspek na nasa kamay natin,鈥� Maranan said in the phone interview on Thursday morning.
(Our initial questioning shows that the two suspects in our custody are mother and son.)
He added that the suspects first traveled by land from Metro Manila, passing through Masbate before arriving in Cebu City.
The police are looking at the possibility that the suspects might be involved in a big criminal syndicate.
He explained, 鈥淢alaking halaga itong hawak-hawak nitong mga suspek natin.鈥�
(The drugs in the suspect鈥檚 possession are of high value.)
鈥淚sang malaking sindikato ang may kakayanan lamang na magsagawa ng ganitong mga illegal drugs na transaction at yung pagta-transport nitong mga drugs na 鈥榯o papunta sa iba鈥檛 ibang lugar.鈥�
(Only a big syndicate can handle this scale of illegal drug transactions and the transportation of these drugs to many other places.)
The suspects are now under the custody of PRO 7 pending the filing complaints for violating Republic Act No. 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act.
According to suspect Edward Loga, he was merely instructed to transport the vehicle from Masbate to Cebu City and he was supposedly unaware that it contained shabu.
The suspect also claimed he did not know the person who gave him the instructions.
Loga told investigators that he was instructed to pick up the vehicle, which was left on the side of the road in Masbate.
He was promised P20,000 once he delivered its contents to Cebu.
He drove the vehicle in Masbate, boarded a ship to Cebu, and was met by his mother Edna at Pier 4.
The suspect, who resides in Leyte and works there as a driver, said this was not the first time he was asked to deliver a cargo whose contents he did not know.
鈥淣apalaking epekto nito kapag ang pinag-uusapan natin ay yung supply reduction,鈥� PRO 7 Regional Director Maranan said.
(This has a big effect when we鈥檙e talking about supply reduction.)
鈥淎lam naman natin, yung ganitong kalaking mga huli, kung hindi natin ito napasakamay ay ito ay ititingi-tingi nang gramo-gramo. Ito鈥檡 ikakalat sa ating kalsadahan, at syempre, napakalaking epekto nito sa peace and order.鈥�
(We know that, with this kind of arrest, if we had not caught them, the drugs would flow out gram by gram. This will reach our streets and, of course, this will have a huge effect on peace and order.)