Jail escapee found dead

CEBU, Philippines - A body was found yesterday in Barangay Argawanon, San Remigio town believed to be that of an escapee shot by police in an operation on Sunday.

 The fatality was identified as Joselito Pantaleon a.k.a “Dandan,” 31, a resident of the town who reportedly escaped  from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Medellin in October last year.

The body was found in the beach by fishermen Rey Tahimalan, Ramil Languado and Pedro Lacson past 6 a.m. yesterday.

According to PO3 Dante Peaño of San Remegio Police Station, the victim had a gunshot wound to his head that may have caused his death.

Investigators believe that Pantaleon was part of the group that shot it out with the police in a drug raid past 11 a.m. on Sunday in Barangay Argawanon.

Pantaleon had a pending case for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The body now lies at Northern Funeral Home in the town.

Meanwhile, Cebu City police have arrested a suspected drug pusher and confiscated more than P200,000 worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation late Monday night at Sitio Lomboyan, Barangay Duljo-Fatima.

Suspect Rolando Matutinao Jr. was arrested as soon as he handed over a pack of suspected shabu worth P200 to a police officer posing as the buyer.

The suspect allegedly first asked the poseur-buyer as to where he was heading, to which the police officer replied that he was there to buy shabu.

The suspect then allegedly handed over the pack of shabu to him. After he received the buy-bust money, the suspect was immediately arrested.

The police then frisked the suspect and seized from him a pink plastic container with three medium-size packs and three smaller packs of suspected shabu inside. They also found P580 in the suspect’s pocket.

The confiscated drugs weighed 17.55 grams and were estimated to be worth P207,000.

The suspect was brought to the police station and will be facing illegal drug charges. — (FREEMAN)