PDEA: Increased activity of female pushers alarming

Women pushers are becoming more notorious as drug pushers compared to their male counterparts.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has noticed an alarming trend when it comes to the involvement of women in the illegal drug trade, more notably drug pushing. In 2010 there were 872 females arrested for violating the anti-drug law which increased to 6% in 2011 where 927 women were apprehended for illegal drug activities. “Taking a closer look at the data reveals that 76 percent of the females arrested by PDEA in 2011 are classified as pushers. This is 4 percent higher than the 72 percent recorded in 2010.

This year, involvement of women in drug pushing has already been observed,” PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez, Jr. said. “This trend [the increased involvement of women in illegal drug activities] is very alarming. Women, based on Filipino culture and tradition, are the primary characters who are supposed to mold and keep the family together. With the increasing number of women being arrested for drug-related crimes, it will not be surprising if we wake up one morning to a generation where “drug-pushing” is an accepted way of life,” Gutierrez added. Last Feburary 6, 2012 three female drug pushers were arrested by PDEA in separate buy-bust operations.

A 27-year old pregnant woman in Valencia City, Bukidnon, identified as Razil Abergas, was nabbed by operatives of PDEA Regional Office 10 (PDEA RO10) after handing over a sachet containing shabu to a poseur-buyer. Abergas is included in the PDEA watchlist. Further search on the suspect yielded another plastic sachet of shabu and assorted paraphernalia with shabu residue. On the same day, two other female pushers, Edna Gandulan, a 21-year old vegetable vendor, and Wayda Cato, a 25-year old barbeque stick-maker, were caught red-handed by PDEA RO 12 in Balauan, General Santos City. Gandulan and Cato yielded one plastic shabu sachet containing shabu. Abergas is temporarily detained in Valencia City Police Station while Gandulan and Cato are under the custody of PDEA Region 12. They are charged for selling and possession of dangerous drugs in violation of Sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2001.

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