A suspected drug pusher was apprehended Friday in Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod City after about P27,000 worth of suspected shabu were recovered from her during a stake-out operation conducted by joint police operatives.

Jocelyn Tupas Cawaling, 38, married of Brgy. 2 was nabbed by joint operatives of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Group led by SPO4 Ernesto Gonzales and the 603rd Maritime Police led by Senior Insp. Ervin Glenn Provido.

Recovered from her were 60 elongated sachets of suspected shabu, the police said.

Cawaling was the fourth woman arrested by the Bacolod drug operatives for alleged possession of shabu, Bacolod City police director Senior Supt. Pedro Merced said.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said he believes the police is effective in its anti-illegal drugs campaign because the prices of shabu has increased which indicates that there is scarcity of supply. This is one problem that the city is trying to focus on, he said, citing the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council which meets regularly to assess the drug situation in the city. Meanwhile, Leonardia said that with the sudden upsurge of crimes in the city, they are entertaining the theory that a certain group is trying to embarrass Bacolod police director, Senior Supt. Pedro Merced.

Leonardia said the Bacolod City Police Office is the best in Western Visayas and among the top three nationwide. "Let us not lose trust in our police, in fact let us even encourage and inspire them to pursue the drive against criminality in Bacolod," he said.

Leonardia said peace and order is one of the factors considered in the survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Management, where Bacolod was adjudged number one in the mid-sized category nationwide, in the criteria of quality of life.

He said the survey conducted by AIM in cooperation with USAID, the Asia Foundation and the German Technical Cooperation, was done objectively and independently.*CGS

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