Operatives of the City Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Cebu City Police Office arrested an ex-convict drug pusher and his customer in a buy-bust operation at 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Sitio Manggahan, Barangay Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City.
Suspects identified
The suspects were identified as Marlon Banate Ong, 40, a resident of Back Rubber, Barangay Basak San Nicolas, and his customer Clarence Abella, 47, from Purok Orchids, Barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla town. Seized from the suspects were packages of suspected shabu weighing 400 grams with a standard drug price of P2.7 million.
Operation details
According to a report, the CIU received information about the suspect's continued illegal drug peddling despite having been previously imprisoned for the same offense. This prompted the CIU to launch intelligence monitoring and validation. Once the information was confirmed, the anti-illegal drug operation was conducted under the leadership of Police Captain Christopher Irwin Corvera Sanchez Jr., under the command of Police Lieutenant Colonel Eunil Avergonzado, chief of the CIU.
A CIU personnel acted as a poseur-buyer, and when the package of suspected shabu was handed over, the operatives immediately handcuffed Ong together with Abella, who was caught buying at that time.
Suspect's background
One of the operatives revealed that after Ong was released from prison, he did not stop his illegal business. The suspects are now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
