CV’s top drug suspect killed in shootout with police

Aquino

A man tagged as the number one “high-value target” in Central Visayas was shot dead by police after he allegedly resisted arrest in a drug buy-bust operation in Barangay Bakilid, Mandaue City, past midnight Thursday.

Christian Tabanao Aquino succumbed to a gunshot wound in the abdomen while being treated at a private hospital in Cebu City.

While being brought to the hospital, Aquino was able to identify his alleged drug suppliers.

“He mentioned Franz Sabalones and a former policeman,” said Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal, head of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

Sabalones, a native of San Fernando town, southern Cebu, is a self-confessed drug lord who surrendered to PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa at Camp Crame in August last year.

“We will file charges against those who were mentioned by Aquino as it was considered a dying declaration, a form of extrajudicial confession,” said Cabal.

Cabal said the operation against Aquino was part of the order of PRO-7 Chief Noli Taliño to intensify the campaign against illegal drugs and criminality, said Cabal.

From a provincial level, Aquino expanded his distribution of illegal drugs to regional level, police said.

Cabal said Aquino surrendered to the Moalboal police in October last year at the height of the government’s intensified anti-drug campaign dubbed as Oplan Tokhang.

“Maybe he thought that after he surrendered, the police will no longer monitor him,” said Cabal, who described the suspect a level one drug pusher capable of selling P1 to P2 million worth of illegal drugs a week.

Cabal said Aquino transacted with a poseur-buyer on L. Jayme Street in Sitio Nalua, Barangay Bakilid around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. Aquino was in the area to visit a friend.

Senior Insp. Windell Abellana, who led the team from the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) that conducted the buy-bust operation, said a shootout ensued when the suspect fought back after noticing he was transacting with a policeman.

A .38 revolver and two packs of suspected shabu were seized during the operation.

Abellana said a follow-up investigation will be made to identify the cohorts of the suspect.

Meanwhile, police arrested 95 individuals and confiscated more than a million pesos’ worth of shabu in separate operations on Wednesday and Thursday.

In Cebu City, police arrested 89 individuals during the implementation of the One-Time Big-Time operation on Wednesday night and confiscated P1.052 million worth of shabu.

In Lapu-Lapu City, police arrested six persons in separate buy-bust operations on Wednesday night and Thursday dawn, and confiscated P27, 000 worth of shabu./with Xavier University Intern April Alexis B. Agustin