The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI 11) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 11 (PDEA 11) are closely monitoring bars and pubs in Davao City for suspected illegal drug activities.
This developed after Joey Toledo, owner of a bar at the junction of Jacinto and Fatima Streets in Brgy. 32-D, Davao City, was arrested in a buy-bust operation for illegal drug activities on April 23, 2023.
“All the bars are monitored because of this operation. We are checking them one by one. This is to give a stern warning to the bars na operating illegally such like this kasi we will not tolerate and we will be conducting now and then the same we conducted in particular months. We are checking all the bars because of this incident since there are many minors in the bar at the time we conducted the operation,” said Arcelito Albao, regional director of NBI Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-SEMRO), in a press conference at the NBI 11 office along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City on Monday.
PDEA 11 regional director III Naravy Defensor-Duquiatan said aside from the bars, they are also closely monitoring other establishments that could be venues for selling illegal drugs.
“We are closely monitoring the bars and other establishments so are possible na gateway ng pagbebenta ng illegal drugs,” she said.
She said one of PDEA 11’s mandates is coordinating with the City Anti-Drug Council (CADAC) in conducting orientation and seminars to the employees of the bars and other establishments on the symptoms of illegal drug users and images of drug paraphernalia used during the administration of illegal drugs.
“So, through the effort of our CADAC marami na po tayong naturuan at nabigyan ng seminars with regards to the use and ill effects of illegal drugs,” she said.
Meanwhile, Toledo is facing charges of violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002″and Republic Act 10591 otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act”.
The suspect was caught exchanging with the poseur buyer one 5-gram sacket of suspected methamphetamine hudrocloride locally known as shabu worth P30,000. Another 5-gram sachet of suspected shabu and one .38-caliber handgun were recovered from his possession.
“We confiscated 10 grams of suspected shabu since it tested positive during the conduct of laboratory examination by PDEA chemist and 1,000 genuine buy-bust money and one-unit caliber pistol,” Duquiatan said.
The operatives of PDEA 11 conducted case surveillance against the suspect for a month.
Duquiatan said the majority of his patrons are customers of his bar and transactions on illegal drugs were conducted outside the bar.
“We focus on the illegal drug activities on the target since our team also conducted a series of case surveillance and our team identified some of the cohorts of the suspect. Based on our investigation he was a former user of illegal drugs for the past years,” she added.
Duquiatan is encouraging the youth to avoid bars specially if they know that there are illegal drug activities involved.
“If you also view the videos of the netizens who are visiting the bar makikita mo talaga na hindi normal ang ginagawa nila sa loob ng bar. We cannot turn a blind eye to these activities already. Marami ng naging biktima sa illegal na droga and we are afraid that the coming generation ay ma- hook into using illegal drugs and in selling illegal drugs. It is our mandate to enforce the law,” she said.
