SCENE of the Crime Operatives (Soco) investigators examine the vehicle of P03 Ryan Quiamco (sprawled on the front seat of the vehicle), who was killed in a shootout with Regional Intelligence Division (RID) operatives in Barangay Pooc, Talisay City on Tuesday night, Aug. 15, 2017.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
Slain policeman PO3 Ryan Quiamco, who was in floating status for a year, was in President Duterte’s list of drug coddlers
A Cebu policeman identified as a drug coddler by President Rodrigo Duterte in August last year was killed in what his fellow policemen said was a drug bust shootout in Barangay Pooc, Talisay City, on Tuesday evening.
PO3 Ryan Quiamco, who was formerly assigned with the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) unit of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), was killed when he tried to shoot it out with pursuing policemen as he allegedly tried to evade arrest shortly after he was subjected to a drug bust along the section of the South Road Properties in Cebu City at past 6 p.m.
Sensing he was targeted for a drug bust, Quiamco, who was in the company of his wife, drove his Isuzu D-Max car while firing at his fellow policemen who pursued him on board their patrol cars.
The operatives gave chase and caught up with Quiamco on S. Bacalso Street in Barangay Pooc in Talisay City, where the latter’s vehicle was peppered with bullets by the police.
Quiamco, in his 30s, suffered several gunshot wounds on his head and body.
His wife Rizalyn, who was with him inside their vehicle, sustained gunshot wounds on her body.
Rizalyn was rushed to the hospital in Cebu City and was declared in stable condition as of 9 p.m., according to Supt. Jonathan Cabal, head of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), which conducted the operation.
Cabal said three bystanders — Aime Raganas, Nilo dela Cerna, and Carla Tesia — were also hit by stray bullets but their injuries were not critical.
A police operative was also wounded during the shootout.
Cabal said they recovered packs of shabu, the amount of which was still being inventoried, and a .45 caliber pistol from inside Quiamco’s car.
Also, the police still have to determine if the gun used by Quiamco was his service firearm.
Quiamco was included in the list of mayors, police officers and judges allegedly involved in illegal drugs. They were publicly identified by President Duterte last August 7, 2016.
Aside from Quiamco, the other police officers in Cebu who were on the list were Supt. Romeo Santander, PO2 Michael Cortez, SPO1 Onel Nabua, SPO1 Jen dela Victoria and PO2 Jomar Ibanez.
They were relieved from their respective posts and were placed under the supervision of the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
Cabal said that based on their monitoring, Quiamco continued with his involvement in the illegal drugs trade despite a stern warning from their higher ups to stop his drug dealing activities.
“He never stopped his illegal drug operations,” he said.
Police also found that Quiamco owned four houses in Talisay City; owned two farms, one in Anda town of Bohol and another in San Fernando, Cebu; and had at least five vehicles.
Cabal said they received reports that Quiamco’s wife was also into illegal drugs trade.
Last July, Cabal said they sought and was granted a search warrant by a Cebu court against Quiamco but it did not yield anything since Quiamco left for Manila and stayed there for some time.
“He was very elusive. He went back to Cebu only after 10 days when the validity of the search warrant expired,” Cabal said.
Cabal admitted that it was hard for them to go after a fellow policeman.
“It’s very sad that one of our own is into the illegal drugs trade. But even though he was a policeman, we needed to do our job and operated against them,” he said.
“All these are part of the internal cleansing of the Philippine National Police,” he added.
High-value target
Quiamco, he said, was considered a level two high-value target, which means that his area of distribution included not only Talisay City, but also Cebu City and other neighboring towns.
Quiamco allegedly had direct links to self-confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones who is based in San Fernando town, 29 kilometers south of Cebu City.
Sabalones surrendered to Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa last August 2016.
He was however released since he was not charged with any case. Sabalones is being investigated by the Department of Justice.
A report in September 2016 by Cebu Daily News showed that Quiamco was allegedly seen by other policemen delivering illegal drugs to a drug peddler in Barangay Valencia in Carcar City.
SPO2 Irving Avila of the Carcar Police was then quoted as saying that he and other police officers were on their way back to the police station when they saw PO3 Ryan Quiamco alight from his Isuzu D-Max vehicle and allegedly handed over sachets of shabu to a drug peddler at past 11 p.m.
When the police operatives approached Quiamco, the latter allegedly went back inside his vehicle and fled.
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