Since July 1 in Central Visayas alone: 54 drug ‘suspects’ dead - PNP

CEBU, Philippines - A total of 54 drug personalities in Region 7 have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, 38 of them in police operations and the rest shot dead by unidentified assailants.

Of the 38, Police Regional Office-7 Director Noli Taliño said 14 were shot dead in operations by the Cebu Provincial Police Office, 9 by the Cebu City Police Office, and five each by the Mandaue City Police Office, the Bohol Provincial Police Office, and the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.

Sixteen were shot dead by unknown assailants. He said the cases are under investigation.

The 38 killed during police operations allegedly resisted arrest.

"Lumalaban, inunahan kasi nakikita na bubunot. Unahan lang yan. Mahirap na maunahan. I don't want ang police natin ang bubulagta after the operation," Taliño said.

CPPO director Senior Superintendent Jose Macanas agreed, saying they are not deliberately killing drug suspects.

"May one case sa Naga City, may encounter. Itinakbo sa hospital buhay… na-hit sa paa, dibdib, buhay pero kinasuhan pa rin. Of course may time siya na magsasabi kung ano sa korte," he said.

In Region 7 more than 62,000 drug personalities, both drug pushers and users, voluntarily surrendered in line with Oplan Tokhang. Although the said drug personalities turned themselves in to the police, it does not mean they were cleared and are still subject to monitoring by the police.

Compared to July 2015, Taliño said the crime in the region decreased, especially crimes against persons, he said this is because drugs contribute to most crimes.

Police operation

The latest drug suspect to be killed in a police operation is Eric Mata, of Sitio Taboc, Barangay Camaligbato, Danao City, who was shot dead by policemen yesterday at 2:40 a.m.

Mata surrendered after Oplan Tokhang but did not heed warnings to stop dealing drugs, prompting policemen led by Senior Inspector Alejandro Batobalonos to conduct a buy-bust operation.

After the sale was made, Batobalonos said they were about to arrest Mata but the latter pulled out a gun and shot at the policemen who fired back and killed him.

Batobalonos said they found a .45 cal. pistol, a medium pack of suspected shabu, and a small sachet of suspected shabu valued at P47,000 from the suspect.

Batobalonos said two drug personalities were killed by unidentified assailants in the same place. Investigation later revealed one of the victims failed to pay his shabu supplier while the other one sold shabu mixed with alum.

In San Remigio town, Francisco Puntay, 48, a resident of Barangay Hagnaya, San Remigio was shot dead after he allegedly resisted arrest during a buy-bust operation on Thursday at about 9:55 p.m.

Police recovered several sachets of suspected shabu, drugs paraphernalia, P220 buy-bust money, and a .38 cal. revolver with four live rounds from the suspect.

At Quijano Compound, V. Rama Avenue past 11 p.m. on Thursday police found Pakloy Nabua unconscious after he was shot by unidentified assailants.

Based on the account of a witness, the victim was sleeping on a folding bed with his one-year-old daughter when an unidentified man suddenly approached them and fired at Nabua several times before walking to a parked motorcycle and escaping.

The victim, who had been shot three times, was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center but he did not make it there alive. Police said the victim was among the subjects of Oplan Tokhang.

Two hours later, another shooting claimed the life of two unidentified men along Wisdom Street, Lower Peace Valley, Barangay Lahug.

Investigation revealed the victims were walking along the street when two motorcycles coming from opposite directions suddenly appeared with the passengers firing at them.

One of the victims was shot in the head, neck and back, and fell to the ground. The other was still able to run before he was chased and shot several times in the chest and head. Police have not established if the killing was related to drugs.

10 cops doing drugs

Meanwhile, Superintendent Henry Biñas, chief of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Branch, said 10 policemen in the Region 7 were found positive of using illegal drugs.

Earlier 11 of them were found positive during an initial test, but the confirmatory test later cleared one of them, a policeman from Bohol.

Under PNP rules, policemen are given 15 days from receipt of the result of the confirmatory test to contest the results. He said this is part of the summary hearing proceedings.  (FREEMAN)