A passenger jeepney dispatcher of Barangay Apas, Cebu City and a resident of San Fernando town, Cebu were the latest casualties in the government’s war on illegal drugs which number 232 in Central Visayas alone.
Henry Fabillar Jr. stood along Osmeña Boulevard at a corner of Colon Street when two unidentified men got off their motorcycle and the back rider pulled out a gun and shot him several times at past 10 p.m. Wednesday.
As Fabillar fell to the ground, the gunman dumped a cardboard on him with a message that read: “Pusher, User Ko. (I am a drug pusher and user).”
Fabillar was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center but failed to make it.
SPO4 Alex Dacua of the Cebu City Police Office’s homicide division said a 25-year-old language instructor, who was at the area when the shooting incident happened, was hit by a stray bullet.
The instructor identified as Merrychrist Bardinas Tagsip was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center where she’s recuperating from the injury.
Fabillar’s live-in partner told the police that the victim received death threats from robbery suspects in the area.
In San Fernando town, Cebu a suspected drug user was gunned down by two unidentified motorcycle riders in Barangay Balod last Wednesday.
PO2 Salvador Saavedra of the San Fernando police precinct said John Carl Cañares was seated on a waiting shed when the assailants arrived in the area and fired at him.
Cañares was rushed to the Carcar City District Hospital but he failed to make it.
Recovered from the crime scene were four empty shells from a .45 pistol. Cañares surrendered to police last month.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, Police Regional Office head, said 126 of the 232 slain drug suspects were killed by unidentified assailants while 106 drug pushers died in “legitimate police operations.”
The PRO-7 covered the period from July 1 to Sept. 22. Taliño said they also arrested 989 drug pushers and 1,043 drug users.
About 73,406 persons surrendered to police during the implementation of Oplan Tokhang which involves policemen knocking on houses of drug suspects and asking them to surrender.
Taliño said they are doing their best to get rid of illegal drugs within three to six months.
“Time is of the essence here. We need to do our work well to address the problem on illegal drugs,” he said.
Taliño repeatedly said he opposed extrajudicial killings and that drug suspects killed in police operations placed the lives of the operatives in danger.
“Of course, our policemen have to defend themselves,” Taliño told reporters.
Taliño said some operatives undergo spiritual formation to remind them about the need for God.
“Admittedly, there are policemen who forgot what we’re here for. They should be reminded that we are doing our jobs not for ourselves but for every Filipino,” he told Cebu Daily News./With Correspondent Rene F. Alima