CEBU, Philippines — A suspect in the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old dance choreographer fell into the hands of authorities during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City Friday night.
Harold Mabatid, 23, was among those the police arrested in the operation in Sitio Wangyu.
Mabatid, who is also a resident of Barangay Mambaling, was tagged by the police as the one who shot dead Louie Flores, a resident of Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, on Thursday morning.
Mambaling Police Station Chief Randy Caballes said Mabatid became the suspect in Flores’ death following interviews from witnesses who allegedly saw him commit the crime.
“Didto niangkon siya (Mabatid) nga siyay nipusil kay nasuko siya kay two months ago nanglimpyo siya sa imbornal unya gitabunan siya sa biktima. Gikomedyahan ba,” Caballes said.
Caballes said that before the shooting, Mabatid was even seen having a drinking binge with the victim. He later left first allegedly to “ambush” the latter.
“Dugay na daw siya naglungot-lungot, pero karon pa siya nakakita og higayon,” Caballes said.
Upon conducting a follow-up investigation, police found out that Caballes was involved in the sale of illegal drugs so they subjected him to a buy-bust operation.
During the drug sting, he allegedly yielded 45 small sachets and a medium pack of suspected shabu weighing about 7.76 grams worth P91,500.
Meanwhile, a 17-year-old kid was nabbed with 10 small sachets of suspected shabu and P200 worth of proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs during a separate operation in Mambaling yesterday.
The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the minor.
The police estimated that the drugs seized from the suspect was about P5,100.
The suspect was allegedly the “right hand” of a wholesaler of drugs in the place, who is still a subject of a separate investigation by the police.
In Lapu-Lapu City, the police arrested three persons, including a jeepney driver, in separate buy-bust operations yesterday morning seizing illegal drugs worth P23,954.
Ben Versales, 38, a resident of Sta. Maria, Barangay Pusok, was arrested at 6 a.m. by responding personnel from the Mactan Police Station 2, led by Chief Inspector Wayne Magbanua.
Aside from Versales, who was included in the police watchlist, his alleged cohort Jeffrey Ancero, a jeepney driver and who is from Barangay Camputhaw, Cebu City, was also arrested.
Seized from Versales was a piece of suspected shabu, while six small sachets were confiscated from Ancero as well as their coin purses. Police were able to get the P500 buy-bust cash during the operation.
The seized drugs weigh about 1.53 grams valued at P18,054.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Cesario Pino was arrested in Zone 1, Barangay Buaya around 12:05 a.m.
Senior Inspector Alden Zambrano of the Pusok Police Station 5 said Pino, who is a resident of Sitio Saac 1, was engaged in the illegal activity.
At least eight sachets of suspected shabu were confiscated from Pino. The shabu reportedly weighs 0.5 grams with an estimated value of P5,900.
All the suspects did not resist arrest from police. They are all detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) - Holding Cell and will face complaints of Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — Christell fatima M. Tudtud/GAN (FREEMAN)