ILOILO City – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Region 6 denied that drug suspect Andrew Altas who was killed in a police operation in Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper on Monday was its civilian agent.
“We do not employ civilian agents. Altas was not connected with us,” Director Max Salvador told Panay News.
Altas’ family claimed he worked for the NBI and thus had a gun.
The family, however, failed to substantiate its claim such as presenting Altas’ permit to possess a firearm.
A .45 pistol was recovered from Altas – the gun he used to shoot Police Officer 1 Ricky Sitier of the Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) when cops tried to search his room for illegal guns.
“We do not employ civilian agents. We have enough organic personnel. We certainly do not need the services of somebody with a negative record,” said Salvador.
Policemen shot Altas, 48, after the suspect fired at Sitier.
Sitier was unhurt; he was wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Altas, brother-in-law of slain drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr., died at the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital. The police classified him a high-value drug target.
Odicta was shot to death by unidentified armed men last Aug. 29, 2016 at the jetty port in Caticlan, Malay, Aklan.
Durng Monday’s police operation, Odicta’s two brothers – Barangay Captain Noel Odicta, 54, of Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper and Jerry, 49 – were arrested along with Abraham Orada, 63, Odicta’s former bodyguard for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
Officers from the Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, Regional Intelligence Division and Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and the Iloilo City Police Office conducted the search at 5 a.m. on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Victor Gelvezon of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 36.
Police seized from Barangay Captain Odicta’s house a hand grenade, a .45 pistol and ammunition.
Recovered from his brother Jerry’s house were a .38 revolver and ammunition, and from Orada’s house, a .45 pistol and a .38 revolver with ammunition, said the police.
No illegal drugs were recovered but Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director, described the suspects as “remnants of the Odicta drug group.”/PN
