Cagayan de Oro mayor’s son arrested in drug bust

LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Central Luzon has arrested 8 suspects in a drug bust in Angeles City, Pampanga, including the eldest son of Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno. 

Sean Moreno, 42, was among the suspects nabbed by PDEA last Saturday, June 29, for supplying party drugs and valium, a presciption medicine which is considered a “downer.”

An Inquirer report named the other suspects as Bernice Fabiosa, 21; Ma. Isabel Lawas, 19; Aileen Baldon, 23; Jamie Mendoza, 20; Jessa Scott, 19; Bernadeth Saavedra, 19; and Gregorio Imperial, 26. They are all residents of Angeles City.

Gil Pabilona, PDEA Region III director, said Bernice Fabiosa sold Dimethyl Tripticase, a party drug classified as hallucinogen, worth P200,000 to an undercover agent in front of a hotel, leading to the arrests.

Seized from the suspects were 310 tablets of party drugs (ecstasy), 5 capsules of Dimethyl Tripticase, a plastic bottle containing 100 Valium tablets, 3 plastic sachets containing suspected kush (a more potent cannabis variety), a plastic sachet containing about 0.75 grams of cocaine, and a weighing scale, the Inquirer reported.

Mayos Moreno said he had recently been informed of the arrest.

“I have been informed that  that my eldest son, Sean, has been arrested in Angeles City, allegedly in connection with possession and/or selling of ecstacy. Reportedly, Sean was arrested together with 7 other individuals,” Moreno said.

“As a father, my first reaction was to ensure his safety while in detention, and to provide legal support. Even if he has gone astray, Sean is still my son, whom I took very special care of since his birth. I deeply regret the situation that Sean is in now,” the mayor added.

“I will endlessly continue to struggle thinking about what led him to this. This is a very difficult time that Sean and the family are going through. But we have deal with this, and we pray that Sean will still have a bright tomorrow,” Moreno said.

“Thus, in spite of the pains and hurts, I remain undettered in believing that God will show Sean the way. And we will unqualifiedly support him,” he said.

Sean was visibly absent last Sunday, June 30, during the inauguration of Moreno and his PDP-Laban party here. – Rappler.com