BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The buy-bust operation in Brgy. Magatas, Sibulan, Negros Oriental yesterday led to the killing of a drug suspect and the confiscation of P13.7 million worth of suspected shabu, a report from the provincial police office said.
P/Col. Arnel Banzon, officer-in-charge of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, said in a statement that the drug suspect he identified as Joemarie Manayon Yongco, alias “Joe”, who was transporting illegal drugs in the province, died during the buy-bust operation.
Banzon said the suspect transacted 25 grams of shabu with a police poseur buyer.
When he noticed that he was transacting with a police personnel, he said the suspect pulled out his gun and fired at policemen, who retaliated by shooting him, hitting him fatally, he added.
The search on the belongings of the suspect, 26, of Brgy. Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, and categorized by the police as a High Value Individual drug personality, yielded about two kilos of suspected shabu, worth P13.7 million, and a .45 caliber pistol.
In Negros Occidental, the series of buy-bust operations Friday and Saturday also led to the arrest of five drug suspects and the seizure of P107,400 worth of suspected shabu.
Cristopher Leduna and Reymark Caparida yielded two grams of suspected shabu, worth P13,600, P1,000 in marked money, and P600 in cash believed to be proceeds from the sale of drugs, police said.
About five grams of “shabu”, worth P34,000, and P500 in marked money were also recovered during the arrest of Charles Bautista through a buy-bust operation in Brgy. 2, Hinobaan, also on Sept.19.
Another buy-bust led to the arrest of Gebor Rosario, alias Gibo, in Brgy. San Isidro, Calatrava, that also yielded 0.8 gram of suspected shabu, worth P5,440, and P500 in marked money.
A drug suspect identified as Tim Bawang is now in jail, after his arrest Friday during a buy-bust operation in Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay City, that also yielded about eight grams of suspected shabu, worth P54,400, and P500 in marked money.*
