11, including doctor and engineer, nabbed in Taguig drug bust

Eleven people, including a doctor and an engineer, were arrested in a buy-bust operation in a hotel in Taguig City on Sunday.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified the 11 arrested people as:

• Edmond Remegio y Magbanua, 33 years old, jobless
• Malik Coronel y Paring, 33, jobless
• Manuel Valdes y Romano, 34, an insurance agent
• Jake Tolentino y Guevarra, 33, an insurance claims processor
• Jose Carlo Torres y Dimarana, 38, an engineer
• Mario Aclan y Manalo, 27, a make-up artist
• Angelo Padasas y Ambay, 28, an office staff
• Jevel Ucero y Tanda, 22, a student
• Carlo Kasala y Agustin, 25, a physician
• Legui Brylle Gonzales, 28, an account manager
• Bryan Dizon y Gorraiz, 20, a software developer

PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said the suspects were arrested in an entrapment operation at Room 609 of Seda Hotel at the Bonifacio Global City at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Aquino said Remegio and Coronel were the main subjects of the operation.

Both suspects are believed to be drug dealers while the rest were suspected users.

Seized during the operation were 20 tablets of ecstasy, less than a gram of shabu, 12 bottles of GBL weighing 530.8 ml worth P300,000 and a bottle of white capsules.

GBL is also known as a party or club drug and data rape drug. It is also referred to as "coma in a bottle."

The PDEA said its users mix GBL with alcoholic drinks. It increases sex drive and gives the user euphoria and "tranquility," it added.

The agency said Remegio and Coronel will be charged with violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) in relation to Section 26 (conspiracy to sell), Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) and Section 12 (possession of drug paraphernalia), Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The nine other arrested people will face charges for "use of dangerous drugs." —ALG, GMA News