BACOLOD City – A drug suspect died in an alleged shootout with operatives while his seven companions were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Pahanocoy.
The fatality was identified as Jose Paterio Tolete, 42, of Rosario Heights, Barangay Taculing.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, Bacolod City Police Office public information officer, Tolete was tagged as a high-value target by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU).
The entrapment operation was conducted on Aug. 27, Pico said.
The CDEU personnel have been conducting surveillance on the operations of Tolete since March.
Tolete’s cohorts, on the other hand, were identified as Angel Villanueva, 37, of East Homes 3, Barangay Estefania; Janting Monlido, 35, Barangay Tangub; Dante Casiple, 33, Barangay Villamonte; Jose Villanueva Jr., 46, Barangay Singcang-Airport; Denny Rubaton, 38, Barangay 35; Kenjie Bais, 25, Barangay Singcang-Airport; Arjie Aghon, 26, Barangay Taloc, Bago City; and Jennifer Mercader, a drug personality from Cebu province. They were caught holding a “pot session” except for Mercader.
Pico said Mercader – managed to evade arrest– was still included in the charges to be filed against the suspects detained in Police Station 8.
During the operation around 8 p.m., a poseur-buyer transacted for a sale of P1,000 worth of suspected illegal drugs with Tolete, who resisted arrest when he learned of the presence of policemen.
Operatives seized 19 sachets of suspected shabu weighing about 55 grams valued at around P374,000.
Aside from the suspected illegal drugs, they also recovered a digital weighing scale, an improvised tooter, and a disposable lighter. (With a report from PNA/PN)
