Actor Among 5 Arrested in Drug Bust

Actor Dominic Roco was among five people arrested in a drug bust in Quezon City, the entertainment capital of The Philippines, on Oct. 1, police said. Rocco, 33, is the son of veteran actor Bembol Rocco and the twin brother of Felix Rocco, who is also an actor. The arrest was announced when police shared the results of other recent drug busts throughout Quezon City.

Members of the Quezon City Police District confiscated ₱112,000 (about $1,900) worth of shabu and ₱14,000 (about $240) worth of dried marijuana from Rocco and his associates, reports CNN Philippines. Police said they also found a weighing scale and the marked money used in the undercover police operation. The other suspects arrested are Reynaldo Sanchez, 45; Eugene Marvin Tolentino, 27; Renz Anthony Cruz, 33; and Dexie Diamante, 21. They were apprehended in Holy Spirit, a neighborhood of Quezon City.

QCPD Director Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said 55 suspects have been arrested in recent drug operations, including 11 suspects for illegal drugs. They have also apprehended 18 wanted persons, and 26 suspects for illegal gambling. Among those recently arrested are Herbie Laque Barro, 33, and German Natingga, 47, who were among the top most-wanted men in Quezon City.

After the arrests were announced over the weekend, Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers, who chairs a committee on illegal drugs in the Philippines House of Representatives, said he wants actors to undergo mandatory drug tests before they begin working on a project, reports ABS-CBN News. Barbers told TeleRadyo he wants producers, directors, and TV broadcasters to make it a requirement because he feared celebrities would be a bad influence on young people. The politician added that he takes drug tests annually to show that he does not use illicit drugs himself and has encouraged other lawmakers to do the same.