One dead, five arrested in drug busts

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged drug pusher was shot dead and five others were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Barili town, Carcar City and Danao yesterday and Monday.

Ryan Avanceña, of legal age, and a resident of Barangay Pasil, died instantaneously after he was shot by police operatives during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Pasil, Barili town, early Tuesday morning.

Police Senior Inspector Jose Angelo Acupinpin said that right after the transaction was completed, Avanceña tried to shoot the buyer when the latter introduced himself as a police officer.

The police poseur-buyer was able to ward off the firearm of the suspect while his backup police operative shot the suspect.

Avanceña sustained two gunshot wounds to his body with one on the left portion of his head which caused an instantaneous death.

Police recovered from Avanceña eight packs of suspected shabu and a .45 caliber pistol loaded with live ammunition.

Acupinpin said that Avanceña was a ‘Tokhang’ surrenderer in July 2016 but the station continued to receive reports of his illegal activities not only in Barangay Pasil in Barili but also in neighboring towns like Dumanjug.

Acupinpin added that Avanceña is considered a major player in the illegal drug trade in Barangay Pasil.

“Dugay-dugay na sad gyud ni siya sa iyang operation. Ug muagi ang atong patrol sa ilang dapit, dali kaayu ni siya makadagan og bukid maong nadugay ta’g kuha ani niya. Aduna ni siya’y mga look-out sa area,” said Acupinpin.

In Carcar City, three suspected drug pushers were arrested while a marijuana grower eluded arrest in anti-illegal drug operations conducted by Carcar City police operatives in Barangays Valencia and Perrelos last Monday.

In Sitio Bagacay, Barangay Valencia, Rowel ‘Roy’ Repdos, 41, along with his cohorts Erick Embradora, 19, and Jerome Mata, 26, were arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted Monday afternoon.

All were arrested in the premises of Embradora’s residence after he transacted with a police poseur-buyer.

Operatives recovered 21 small sachets and one medium plastic pack of suspected shabu as well as P700 in cash from Repdos.

Seized from Mata were one medium plastic pack and four small plastic sachets of suspected to shabu. Items recovered weighed approximately 12.78 grams valued at P150,504.

Also on Monday, Carcar police operatives went to Sitio Nangkaan in Barangay Perrelos after receiving reports of a resident growing marijuana in his backyard.

Arriving at the reported residence, police saw Guiller ‘Epoy’ Baylosis, in plain sight watering what responding police were able to identify as marijuana plants.

Baylosis turned tail when he sensed that the persons approaching him were police officers.

Operatives recovered three stalks of fully-grown marijuana from Baylosis’ backyard.

In Danao City, two newly identified drug personalities were caught in Barangay Tuburan Sur, during a buy-bust operation conducted around 12:10 a.m. last Monday by operatives of the Danao City Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – 7.

Police operatives noticed Momar Austria Estenzo, 30, jobless, a resident of Catmondaan, Catmon and his cohort Robelito Juntilla Morato, 35, jobless, a resident of Tuburan Sur, Danao City just hanging around outside Morato’s residence as if waiting for a customer to approach.

A police poseur-buyer approached the two and when they sold him a pack of suspected shabu weighing 16.05 grams, the two were arrested.

Operatives seized 15 small sachets containing of suspected shabu with an approximate weight of 75 grams and P400 bill as proceeds of his illegal drug trade from Estenzo’s possession, while 10 small sachets with an approximate weight of 0.50 grams were seized from Morato.

The total confiscated drugs are estimated to be worth P189,390. — Ermida Q. Moradas with Amparo Leah A. Pagusara and Mary Ferchel B. Cui (FREEMAN)