Six killed, P11.6M in drugs seized

June Silva (right) and Dave Villarosa (2nd from right) and four other suspected drug personalities were rounded up in Talisay City yesterday as part of “Oplan Silhig” of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

OPLAN SILHIG

Among those arrested was an incumbent councilman, Jaguar’s relative

Six suspected drug personalities were killed while 74 persons, including an incumbent barangay councilman were arrested in simultaneous police anti-drug operations conducted on Wednesday in different parts of Cebu.

The operation dubbed “Oplan Silhig” also netted 721 grams of suspected shabu worth P8.2 million and uprooted 8,500 fully grown marijuana with an estimated value of P3.4 million.

Three of the fatalities were from Talisay City where five buy-bust operations were conducted.

Killed were Rodel Econas of Barangay Lagtang, Zebor Canciancio of Barangay Lawaan 2, and Rene Fernandez of Barangay Tangke.

Mandaue City meanwhile, yielded two fatalities whom police identified as Carl Niño Macachor of Barangay Tabok and Ranchie Castañeda of Barangay Guizo.

Police said the two resisted arrest which resulted in a shootout.

Also killed in another buy-bust operation in Carmen town was Joseph Taoy of Barangay Poblacion.

OTBT

Yesterday’s activity marks the first time that the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) conducted a province-wide one-time, big-time operation.

According to Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of PRO-7, this is their way of synchronizing their operations in Cebu as part of their intensified efforts to weed out illegal drugs.

The simultaneous operations started at 4 a.m. and lasted for almost eight hours.

The participating units were Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO), and Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Central Visayas (RMFB-7).

The police offices in the aforementioned units implemented 22 search warrants, 30 warrants of arrest, and 18 buy-bust operations which resulted to the arrest of 74 persons.

Policemen from the Regional Mobile Group check on a house where a suspected drug pusher was killed in a shootout with anti-drug operatives in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City.

Successful

“We can say (that our operation was) very successful. Expect more (one-time, big-time) in the near future,” said Sinas.

The regional police chief also revealed that similar operations will also be conducted in other islands of Central Visayas such as Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Buy-bust fatalities

Sinas said the four fatalities in Talisay City and Carmen town were killed in a shootout during a buy-bust operation while the two persons killed in Mandaue City resisted arrest resulting in another shootout.

“If the suspects will not engage in a shootout or resist arrest, then walay mahitabo nila (nothing will happen to them),” said Sinas.

However, Jillen Sumatra, the common-law wife of Rodel Econas denied there was a shootout.

“Ilang gibuhat gidiretso og bira akong bana samtang nangatulog mi. Gibira nila sa gawas,” said Sumatra.
(What they did was rouse my husband from sleep and accost him out of our house.)

Sumatra admitted that Econas used illegal drugs but denied he was a drug pusher.

Councilman in trouble

Meanwhile, one of those arrested in Cebu City was Avelino “Junie” Gungob Jr., a councilman of Barangay Casili in Consolacion town, northern Cebu.

Gungob is said to be the son of former Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr.

He was arrested along Clint Fernandez, his common-law wife Aileen Bornales, and two men whose identities were still being verified.

Fernandez, who owned the raided house on M. Velez Street in Barangay Guadalupe, was the subject of the raid conducted by

Policemen from the Regional Mobile Group and SWAT personnel gather at the Talisay City Hall grounds after conducting raids on suspected drug spots in the city on Wednesday.

operatives of the Guadalupe Police Station.

Police said packs of suspected shabu were seized from the suspects.

Gungob, however, denied that they owned the shabu and accused the police of planting the evidence.

Bornales is reportedly a distant relative of Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, a top drug lord who was killed by police in Las Piñas City in 2016.