Drug lord Jaguar’s cousin killed in shootout with cops

BUY-BUST OPERATION in Naga city

A cousin of the slain Cebu-based drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz was killed on Saturday after a shootout with police officers in Barangay Balirong, Naga City in southern Cebu.

Edgar Diaz Lampaog of Barangay Balirong, died after he suffered several gunshot wounds in the body during the encounter with southern town’s police officers conducting a buy-bust operation in the barangay, said Supt. Gregorio Galsem, Naga City Police Station chief, in a phone interview yesterday.

Galsem said that Lampaog had been in their list of high-value targets in the police war against illegal drugs, whose alleged operation covered the southern and western towns of Cebu, Bohol province and Negros Occidental.

The Naga police chief claimed that the suspect could dispose a kilo of shabu in a week.

He said that Lampaog’s name ended in the high-value target list after several drug suspects arrested during recent drug raids in parts of the town allegedly linked Lampaog to the illegal trade.

He, however, did not specify who these arrested drug suspects were.

He also said that Lampaog was a slippery suspect who had eluded several anti-drug operations conducted against him.

Galsem also confirmed that Lampaog was cousin of the late drug lord Jaguar Diaz, who was killed in an alleged shootout in Las Piñas City last year.

Galsem also claimed that the operation against Lampaog on Saturday was conducted after a week of surveillance of the suspect’s alleged illegal drug activities.

During Saturday’s operation, which was conducted by a Naga police team led by SPO2 Lucermindo Banaylo, Galsem said that while the purchase of P1,000 worth of suspected shabu was going down, Lampaog suddenly realized that he was dealing with a police officer.

Galsem said that Lampaog allegedly, suddenly ran, pulled out a gun and fired a shot at the undercover police officer but missed.

The Naga police officers chased Lampaog, who allegedly continued to fire at the pursuing police officers, who fired back, hit and killed the suspect.

Lampaog was then brought to Minglanilla district hospital, but he did not reach the hospital alive.

Galsem said they also arrested Lampaog’s alleged cohort, Glen Cabonillas, while another cohort, Kevin Chavez, managed to escape.

Police also allegedly recovered from the body of the suspect two large packs and two sachets of suspected shabu, a .38 caliber revolver, a .45 caliber pistol and a grenade.

Galsem said that they could not yet give the estimated value of the confiscated suspected shabu because they were still waiting for the results of the tests at the police crime laboratory.

The Naga police chief said that they were also trying to get information from Cabonillas on where they source their illegal drugs.

They were also trying to find and arrest Chavez.

With the death of Lampaog and the arrest of Cabonillas, Galsem issued a call against persons involved in selling illegal drugs in Naga City to stop their illegal drug activities or surrender to police.

He said he was giving those drug personalities fair warning because he is determined to eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs in his area.