GOVERNMENT agents arrested a son of former senator Jose Bautista, popularly known as Ramon Revilla Sr., and his male companion for carrying P24 million worth of Cytotec drugs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Sunday night.
They arrested Reuben Bautista, 20, a resident of Parañaque City, and his companion Glen Morgadi, 30, of Pampanga. Both were caught in possession of 70,000 Cytotec tablets and 30,000 tablets of Augmentin antibiotics.
Bautista and Morgadi had just arrived from Singapore via flight SQ-918 when Customs agents discovered the prohibited items inside their luggage.
The two failed to declare the contents of their luggage when they were asked by a Customs examiner what they were bringing in.
Bautista claimed during interrogation that he was a son of former actor Ramon Revilla Sr. and brother of detained former senator Ramon Revilla Jr.
Misoprostol is being marketed as Cytotec. It was banned in the country in 2002 after some people started using the drug to induce abortion.
In October 2015, Customs agents intercepted smuggled Cytotec and other prohibited drugs that arrived at the airport as parcels from India and Pakistan.
Among the intercepted items were 100,000 200 mg tablets of Cytotec; 31,014 10 mg tablets of Valium; 2,700 10 mg of Xolnox; 24,000 10 mg tablets of Ritalin; 27,492 tablets of Alprazolam; and 7,000 10 mg tablets of Ambin.
Authorities say Cytotec is a medication intended to prevent and treat stomach ulcers, but it was prohibited by the Philippine government because it could also induce abortion.
The Bureau of Food and Drugs also warned drugstores, pharmacists and consumers against buying or selling Misoprostol.