MANILA – A suspected drug pusher has been apprehended by authorities at a residential area in the Malacañang Complex in San Miguel, Manila, the Palace said.
The operation was conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), in coordination with the Presidential Security Group (PSG), Philippine Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEA) and the local police.
The suspect, identified as Edgar Ventura, was caught inside his house. Found in his possession were drug paraphernalia, including heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be illegal drugs.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the arrest reflects the “unyielding resolve” of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his administration in eradicating illegal drugs.
He also called on law enforcement agencies to relentlessly pursue the capture of the suspect’s accomplices, even as he appealed to the public’s cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
“Let it be known: no corner of this land, no matter how remote or concealed, will serve as a refuge for the producers and distributors of these lethal substances,” Bersamin said. “The full, unforgiving weight of the law will always descend upon them.”
The Malacañang Complex houses the Malacañang Palace, the official residence and principal workplace of the President, as well as numerous mansions, office buildings, and residential barangays./PN