Family allegedly uses cash aid as capital for shabu business

Authorities arrested family members in Quezon City who were caught selling drugs. Police believed the suspects used the P6,700 cash they received as a capital in their shabu business.

According to a report by James Agustin on GMA News “24 Oras” on Tuesday, the arrested suspects were identified as Elvie Flores, and her children Angelito and Nathali, and
co-mother-in-law Raquel Bona.

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The suspects were arrested Monday in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tatalon, amid the existing enhanced community quarantine.

Elvie and Bona were both beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. They each received P6,700 from the government’s social amelioration program (SAP). Authorities suspect that they used cash aid as capital to sell drugs.

Authorities seized 13 sachets of shabu with a street value of P34,000 from the suspects.

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“‘Yong kaniyang anak, ginagamit na tagapag-abot ‘pag may bumibili ng droga. Siya ‘yong ginagamit na runner and then ‘yong kaniyang balae, base sa ating imbestigasyon ay gumagamit din o kumukuha,” said Police Captain Randy Llanderal, commander of Quezon City Police District Station 11 Deputy Station.

(Her child is the runner and then her co-mother-in-law, according to the investigation is also using or buying drugs.)

Also read: Suspects arrested for using gov’t cash aid in gambling, buying shabu

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Family allegedly uses cash aid as capital for shabu business

Elvie admitted that she had been selling illegal drugs with her children for three years now.

“Pinambubuhay ko po sa mga anak ko dahil wala po akong asawa (I use it to feed my children because I am a widow.),” she explained.

“Sa sobrang kahirapan po ng buhay kaya po namin nagagawa ‘yon (We did because of extreme poverty.),” said her son Angelito.

Bona, meanwhile, denied he was involved in the illegal transaction. “‘Di ko po alam ‘yong transaksyon nila (I didn’t know that transaction),” she said.

The suspects insisted they used the money they received to buy food but authorities believe otherwise.

“Ito ang ginagawa nilang puhunan and inamin naman nitong tao ‘di ba na talagang kanila, at ‘yang ang ginagawa nga na pambuhay sa kaniyang pamilya,” said Llanderal.

It was not the first time that police arrested government cash aid beneficiaries. A man in Bacoor, Cavite, pleaded guilty to receiving P6,500 from the social amelioration program to buy shabu.