BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS and RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) intensified anti-illegal drug operations resulted to the killing of a drug suspect and confiscation of over P2.2 million worth of suspected shabu in separate antidrug buy-bust operations in this city and Negros Occidental from Feb. 20 to 21.
In Barangay Lanit, Jaro district here, the 32-year-old Jason “Don-Don” Espaltero of San Jose, Antique but temporarily staying in Barangay Rizal Estanzuela, City Proper was shot dead in a police operation around 2:30 a.m. yesterday.
According to Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica, officer-in-charge of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), Espaltero – a high-value drug suspect – sensed that he was being entrapped and fired a gun at the poseur buyer.
The police asset who was wearing a bulletproof vest was unharmed. Operatives of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) retaliated and shot the suspect to death, Coronica said.
Prior to this, the poseur buyer bought from the suspect five big sachets of suspected shabu for P75,000.
“Sang gindeklara na ang pag-aresto sa iya, nag-react ini siya. Nagbunot sang iya baril kag gintiro niya ang aton poseur buyer. Ang maswerte lang kay ang aton poseur buyer may ara nga naka-conceal nga bulletproof vest kag waay nagdulot sa iya lawas. Ang upod niya nga pulis amo to ang nagtiro kag naigu ining subject sa taas nga bahin sang iya lawas,” Coronica added.
For his part, Police Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Benitez, CDEU chief, said, “We knew na may armas siya pero wala kami magdumdum nga mabatu siya. Wala kami plano nga patyon siya kay kami ma-buy-bust man lang. Kaso lang tiniro niya amon asset, so amo to natirohan man siya.”
“Ginakasubo namon ang natabu kay tawo man na siya. Kaso lang dapat depensahan man sang tawo ko self nila,” he added.
CDEU operatives confiscated from the suspect a total of 17 plastic sachets of suspected shabu weighing 110 grams with a standard drug price P748,000, .45 pistol and a magazine with seven live ammunition.
Coronica added that Espaltero was the supplier of illegal drugs in the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod; his supplies originated in Negros Occidental.
“We are serious in our campaign against illegal drugs and we will not stop running after those who continue to venture into illegal drugs in Iloilo City,” the ICPO chief said.
Just this Feb. 18, high-value drug suspect Praud Joan Animas was arrested in Barangay Lanit; he also allegedly got his supply of illegal drugs from Negros Occidental.
Coronica said it was transported to this city through a roll-on/roll-off vessel.
On the other hand, P1,469,276 worth of suspected shabu was seized from another high-value drug suspect in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Monday night, Feb. 20.
The 23-year-old Mark John Quijano was arrested on Luzuriaga Street in the city’s Barangay 6.
Quijano was detained at the San Carlos City Police Station, facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
PRO-6 director, Police Brigadier General Leo M. Francisco, lauded the accomplishments of the operating teams from Iloilo City and San Carlos City.
“I am directing all units under my watch to continue intensify the campaign against illegal drugs in our region. We will make sure that their illegal activities have no place in Western Visayas,” said Francisco./PN
