4 killed, 1 survived: Drug war continues to claim more lives

CEBU, Philippines - Two men whom the police identified as number one drug personalities in their respective places were killed while a police officer was wounded during separate anti-illegal drug operations in Mandaue City yesterday.

Their deaths came just minutes within that of an allegedly confidential agent in Cebu City and hours of that of suspected drug pusher killed during a buy-bust operation in Bogo City.

Mandaue City police identified the two as Elvin Del Mar Sison, 32, of S.B. Cabahug Street, Barangay Ibabao-Estancia; and Reymond Bolanon, 24, of Purok Star Apple, Barangay Umapad.  Police Officer 2 Renato Canja of the Mandaue City Police Office- Station 1 said Sison suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body after he allegedly resisted arrest after the police served him a search warrant in his house in Ibabao-Estancia around 4:10 a.m.

Sison, reportedly a nephew of Mandaue City Councilor Carmelino Del Mar, allegedly refused to be arrested and instead pulled out a gun and began firing towards the policemen. Police Officer 1 Ryan Heyrosa was hit on his right leg before the policemen managed to fire back and kill Sison.

"Nisukol, 'nya namusil og una (si Sison). Naigo ang usa ka police sa tuong bahin sa iyahang tiil, gidala siya sa hospital. Stable na siya ron," Canja said.

Sison, too, was rushed to the hospital but he died along the way.  Responding policemen found at the scene six bullet shells of a .9 mm pistol and a .45 pistol, as well as 17 small sachets of suspected shabu.

Around an hour after, the police also killed Bolanon after he allegedly likewise resisted while being served a search warrant in his house in Umapad around 5 a.m.

"Ni-resist siya og arrest, ni-fire siya og .22 revolver," said Police Officer 3 Isagani Garcia of MCPO-Station 5.

Bolanon suffered three gunshot wounds to the left portion of the chest when a policeman allegedly fired back at him. Like Sison, Bolanon did not make it to Mandaue City Hospital alive.

The police found at the scene a .22 revolver loaded with five bullets and an empty shell in its chamber, as well as two bullet shells of a .45 pistol.

Also yesterday morning, Charito Mepico, 48, a businessman and a resident of Sabellano Street, Sitio Kamanse Upper Kinasang-an, Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City, died after he was shot by two unidentified men who were riding a motorcycle.

Police Officer 3 Cristobal Geronimo of the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section said Mepico was just minding his store when shot three times in the back.

Responding policemen found in his position an identification card stating that he was a confidential agent of the Regional Intelligence Branch (RID), which Geronimo said is subject for verification.

Geronimo said Janice, Mepico's wife, told them that her husband was a drug user, but Donio, the victim's brother, told them that the attack has something to do with Janice allegedly having an affair with another man.

Meanwhile, in Bogo City the day before, Efric Alburo of Sitio Sudlonon, Barangay Cayang also died after the police killed him for allegedly resisting arrest during a buy-bust operation.

Senior Police Officer 2 Conrado Estenzo of Bogo City Police Station said an operating team conducted the buy-bust at 1:15 p.m. against Alburo, who was allegedly on their target list of drug personalities.

Estenzo said that after the transaction was completed, Alburo opened fire after sensing that he was transacting with a policeman. This prompted the operatives to shoot him in the right portion of the chest, the bullet exiting his lower back.

Alburo was rushed to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

The policemen found at the scene a .357 revolver, a KG 9 machine pistol, several sachets of suspected shabu, and the buy-bust money from Alburo's possession.

In another drug-related incident,  Joseph Rata, 45, of Bakatan Compound, Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City, suffered several gunshot wounds to the body but survived after two motorcycle-riding men attacked him around 9 p.m. last Tuesday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Michael Limalima of MCPO-Station 2 said Rata was walking on Mt. Manunggal Street, Singson Village, Tipolo when the two men arrived and fired at him.

Limalima said they are looking at Rata's involvement in illegal drugs as possible motive in the attack, as the victim is number five in their list of drug personalities.

Rata was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for medical attention and was said to be already in stable condition.

In another shooting incident, garbage truck driver Nestor Pasilang, 53, died after security guard Jeremias Daniel shot him following an argument around 4:10 a.m. at the Ramos Public Market in Cebu City yesterday.

"Iyang (victim) gisita ang gwardiya nganong dugay mangabli," Geronimo said, adding that it was because the victim was helping a vendor relative in display her assorted vegetables.

Geronimo said the suspect suddenly pulled out his firearm in the middle of their argument. The victim, Geronimo said, still managed to utter "ayaw ana guard kay maigo ta ana" before he was killed. The suspect immediately fled after what he did.

In northern Cebu, Regional Public Safety Battalion-7 operatives uprooted at least P880,000 worth of fully-grown marijuana stalks in Danao City Tuesday morning. (FREEMAN)