MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Bulacan police have arrested seven suspected drug dealers, including actor Julio Diaz, in separate illegal drug raids in the province.
Ex-convict Antonio dela Cruz Sr., and his son, Antonio Jr., were arrested Thursday by operatives of the NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (NBI-TFAID) in Hagonoy, Bulacan after a month of surveillance.
Antonio Sr. is an ex-convict and was released in 2011 after a 10-year sentence for frustrated homicide.
In a statement Thursday, the NBI said Antonio Sr., who has reportedly been involved in illegal drug trade since 1980 and has an outstanding warrant, used his three-hectare fishpond business in Taytayin Bukid, Hagonoy as cover.
Also arrested were Gilbert Bondoc, Ralph Paule, and Jeric Lascano after reportedly yielding 11 sachets of suspected methampetamine hydrochloride or “shabu”, with an estimated value of PHP400,000. Authorities also recovered from the group 13 firearms, including shotguns.
Meanwhile, police in Meycauayan, Bulacan nabbed Diaz, Mariano de Leon in real life, for selling PHP500 worth of suspected shabu to undercover policeman.
In the internationally acclaimed film Ma ‘Rosa for which Jaclyn Jose won Best Actress in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Diaz played Nestor, a small-time drug addict. In the movie directed by Brilliante Mendoza, Diaz and Jose play spouses who live in an impoverished community and later arrested for using and selling drugs.
Diaz was arrested Friday by members of the Meycauayan City Police in Barangay Langka at about 12:40 a.m., Bulacan Police chief Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr. said in a statement.
Diaz, 59, was arrested together with Ronald Gomez, alias Robin, during the buy-bust operation. (PNA)
