5 drug suspects dead, 3 others arrested in Cebu

FIVE suspected drug pushers were killed in separate incidents in Cebu on Friday and Saturday dawn.

The first incident happened last Friday evening wherein the suspect identified as Romnick Flores, 27, was killed in a police operation in his residence in Sitio Tuburan, Barangay Labogon, Mandue City.

Flores died instantly after sustaining gunshot wounds in the body.

SPO4 Marcos Noval of the Investigative and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) of Mandaue City Police Office said they received information that the suspect was armed with a gun.

Responding policemen led by Senior Insp. Zenaido Sanchez immediately proceeded to the area and found Flores from an open door of his house sitting with a firearm beside him.

They introduced themselves as police officers and asked Flores for his firearm, but the latter fired at them but missed. The police retaliated and shot Flores, killing him instantly.

Police recovered from the scene Flores’ .45 pistol, medium and small sachets of suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia, P4,850 cash, four mobile phones and two handcuffs.

At past 2 a.m. yesterday, another three suspects were killed by unknown assailants in Barangay Maslog, Danao City, in northern Cebu.

Joshua Lao Abellana, Jerry Cabriana and a certain Quirico Sabas Defensor suffered multiple gunshot wounds on their bodies, said Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, Danao City police chief.

Recovered at the crime scene was a note written on a bond paper that read “Pusher ako, wag tularan (I’m a pusher. Don’t emulate me).”

The suspects fled after the incident.

Two hours later, the Naga City police conducted a buy-bust operation against a certain Anu Pardillo in Barangay Inayagan.

Pardillo’s son identified by police as Anthony Pardillo, 26, allegedly fired at one of the operatives, prompting the police to retaliate.

Anthony suffered a gunshot wound on his body. He was rushed to the Minglanilla District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by attending physician.

The elder Pardillo managed to escape.

Meanwhile in Dalaguete town, southern Cebu, a father and his two sons were nabbed in a buy-bust operation around 1 p.m. last Friday.

The suspects were identified as Paulino Mariscal, 48; his sons John Ian, 22; and a 16-year-old boy whose name is withheld for being a minor.

Senior Insp. Abel Laborte said the minor had already surrendered to the police through Oplan Tokhang, but John Ian refused, prompting them to conduct the buybust operation after receiving information that John Ian was still engaged in illegal drug trade in the area.

Confiscated were seven small sachets containing alleged shabu worth P4,000 from Paulino and five small sachets of suspected shabu worth around P2,000 from John Ian and his younger brother.