Early intelligence reports indicating that all over Bohol there are now minors engaging in the illegal drug trade have been confirmed as factual and accurate following the arrest of a 17-year old resident of Panglao town, from whom police had confiscated shabu and other drug paraphernalia during Friday's anti-drugs campaign. The arrest of the minor (whose name is withheld by the police as mandated by law) came as incidental during a buy-bust operation targeting another suspected drug pusher identified as Romulo Arancon, alyas Moli, 31 years old, single, jobless and a resident of Sitio Balili, Barangay Danao, Panglao town. The arrest also came on the heels of last week's massacre of four drug suspects in Ubay town in which two of the victims were females aging 18 and 19 years old.

Elements of Provincial Intelligence Branch – Special Operations Group/Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (PIB-SOG/PAIDSOTG) led by Police Inspector Jojit S. Mananquil and Panglao PNP station seized from the possession of Arancon one small heat sealed plastic transparent cellophane sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and one Nokia cellular phone used by the suspect in communicating with the “poseur buyer.” Mananquil told media that when police arrested Arancon at his residence, three other persons, later identified as Roman Boncac, Jian Christopher Boncac, and the 17-year-old, were with the suspect. Police said Jian Christopher, to repel the presence of the police, drew out his .25 caliber gun while the 17-year-old suspect readied his “batangas knife.”

The situation prompted the police to arrest the companions of Arancon. Police then conducted bodily search on Roman Boncac, and they seized from him three small heat sealed plastic transparent cellophane sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu; a brown wallet utilized as a container of the shabu containing one P500; and a Comelec identification card. Then police confiscated from Jian Christopher four small heat sealed plastic transparent cellophane sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu. On the other hand, seized from the minor suspect were seven small heat sealed plastic transparent cellophane sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu; one green plastic box utilized as container of the sachets of shabu; and a Samsung cellular phone.

Further bodily search on Arancon yielded three small heat sealed plastic transparent cellophane sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and six pieces of sliced aluminum tin foils. The search operation on the residence of Romulo Arancon was anchored on a search warrant dated May 27, 2014 issued by Regional Trial Court Assistant Executive JudgeLeo Moises Lison, for alleged violation of Sections 11 and 12, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Anti-Drugs Act. After implementing the search warrant on Arancon's residence, police had also seized several drug paraphernalia. Police said they had turned over the suspected 17-year-old drug pusher and user to the local Social Welfare and Development Office in Panglao, as mandated by RA 9344, or the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act of 2006, authored by Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

Under this law, persons 15 years old and below cannot be imprisoned even for heinous crimes like illegal drugs, rape and murder. Many law enforcers have branded Pangilinan's law as a “stupid law” since it has been repeatedly used by criminals as a tool to perpetuate their evil acts. Police Supt. Joie Pacito Yape Jr. has called on legislators to repeal what he described as “defective law.” Yape said the arrest of a 17-year-old drug suspect reveals how serious it has become the problem on illegal drugs in Bohol. Earlier, Police Senior Supt. Dennis Palo Agustin has warned Bohol leaders that the rampant use of illegal drugs can destroy families as it would wreck havoc on the future of the youth. Agustin has rallied local government unit officials to support the police's campaign against the evil existence of illegal drugs, which are blamed on the rise of heinous crimes, including the rape of a mother in Baclayon by her own son and another rape of a 70-year-old grandmother by her own twenty-something grandson. The Bohol PNP director has called on the Boholano people to rally behind the police in the campaign against illegal drugs, saying Bohol must be saved from becoming a haven of druglords.