By Ruben A. Veloria

 

SUBIC, Zambales – Eight fishermen from this town surrendered to authorities on Monday night nearly two kilos of suspected shabu worth P12 million they fished from sea off Lubang Isaland.

The surrender of the illegal drugs was facilitated by joint elements of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or PDEA Zambales, headed by PDEA Zambales Chief Agent Jigger Junniler, as Lead Unit, kasama ang Subic Municipal Police Station, at PDEU Zambales.

Agent Junniler and Zambales Police Provincial Director P/Col. Ricardo S. Pangan, Jr. lauded the courage and for being honest and responsible citizens of the fishermen identified as Jayson Ausejo, 53, the boat captain, and resident of Matain, Subic; and his crews Jay Lenares, Henry Flores, Artur Bautista, Raffy Villar, John Albert Carles, all of Barangay Matain, Subic; Danilo Acosta of Barangay Calapandayan, Subic, and Jinggoy Estrada, of Barangay Samal, Mariveles, Bataan, for surrendering the drugs.

Earlier, PDEA Zambales received information from Barangay Matain Chiarman Marvin B. Chua about the eight fishermen who wish to surrender the suspected shabu which they fished out from the sea about 90 nautical miles off Lubang Island in Mindoro Occidental.

After which, PDEA coordinated with ZPPO and Subic Police to jointly facilitate the turn-over of the illegal drugs.

The boat’s captain Ausejo told investigators that while they were on their way back home to Matain from several days of fishing, they noticed pieces of plastic bags floating in the sea.

Ausejo ordered his crew to pick all the 11 plastic bags, and upon inspection they discovered that each contains suspected shabu.

After verification, police confirmed that the contents of each plastic bags are shabu with a total weight of 1,800 grams (1.8 kilos) with market value approximately P12,240,000.00.

The pieces of evidence were brought to PDEA Regional Office 3 for proper documentation and disposition.