Philippines – Seventeen hospital workers fell ill after eating marijuana-laced brownies last week, prompting the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to issue a stern warning to the public to exercise caution in buying or accepting pastries from anonymous persons.
A nurse in a provincial hospital in San Marcelino, Zambales received three boxes of baked brownies from an anonymous person as birthday present last week, unaware of the presence of marijuana in the ingredients.
A nurse in a provincial hospital in San Marcelino, Zambales received three boxes of baked brownies from an anonymous person as birthday present last week, unaware of the presence of marijuana in the ingredients.
She shared the unexpected gift from her co-workers, all 16 of them. Within hours, they felt dizziness and pain and were given immediate medical attention.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr., who received the report, said laboratory examination of the brownies yielded positive result for the presence of marijuana.
The specimen was confirmed to contain extracted marijuana leaves purposely mixed as ingredients in baking the brownies.
“Eating marijuana-spiked brownies or pastries presents major health risks, and the continuous consumption of these has the potential to be addictive to unsuspecting consumers,“ Gutierrez said, adding that marijuana is considered to be a gateway drug and its users have a strong inclination to move on to muchharder drugs later on.
“Thus, we are sending out this stern warning to the public not to accept any box of goodies/pastries from anonymous persons because it may contain illegal drugs. PDEA is presently intensifying its intelligence gathering to arrest unscrupulous elements using this method of drug-pushing,“ said Gutierrez.
Meanwhile, a mother and son tandem has been arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for maintaining a drug den in Cagayan de Oro City.
Gutierrez said the house, located in Bantilis, Barangay Bugo, Cagayan de Oro City, is being utilized as a drug den owned and operated by Annabelle Pepito, 42; and her 23-year-old son, Klerby Adrian Jay.
Elements of PDEA Regional Office 10 (PDEA RO10) Misamis Oriental Provincial Special Enforcement Team, under Director Roberto Opeña, arrested the Pepitos on Oct. 9.
During the operation, six persons were caught in a pot session. They were identified as Julbert Ucat, 32; Bobby Dela Torre, 29; Charles Dacup, 34; Jorum Dadivalos, 39; Josephine Villaraza, 22; and Karen Cardova, 26.
The PDEA operatives recovered one aluminum foil strip containing shabu, one tea bag of marijuana dried leaves wrapped in a paper, and various drug paraphernalia.
The Pepitos are facing charges for violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Drug Den), Article II, of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
On the other hand, Ucat, Dela Torre, Dacup, Dadivalos, Villaraza and Cardova were charged for visiting the drug den (Section 7), possession of dangerous drugs during gatherings (Section 13) and possession of drug paraphernalia during gatherings (Section 14).
They are presently detained in the PDEA RO10 jail facility.
-Tempo
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