Three dead in Balamban, Argao buy-bust shootouts; cops seize P14.6M suspected shabu

Investigators check on the crime scene in Balamban. | photo from CCPO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — It was a bloody Wednesday in Cebu as police continue their drive against illegal drugs hauling P14.6 million of suspected shabu and killing three drug suspects in shootouts in two separate anti-illegal drug operations in Balamban and in Argao towns.

In Balamban,  a town in midwestern Cebu, a joint police team confiscated P14.6 million or 2.1 kilos of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation at past 11 p.m. in Barangay Prenza, which resulted to a shootout and ended with the death of the two suspects.

Quazar Quiachon, 42, and his cohort Don San Diego, who both are from Talisay City,  were killed in the firefight with the police officers, said Senior Inspector Alejandro Batobalonos, Cebu Provincial Police Office Drug Enforcement Unit chief, who led the joint police team in the operation.

Batobalonos said that the suspects started shooting at the approaching police officers who were moving in to arrest them after an undercover police officer managed to buy illegal drugs worth P180,000 from the suspects.

He also said that they brought the wounded suspects to the hospital but the doctor there declared them dead on arrival.

He also said that they had learned about Quiachon’s illegal drug activities and had monitored him for about a month before they conducted the buy-bust operation.

He said that they considered Quiachon as a high value target as shown by the illegal drugs confiscated from them.

The joint police team that conducted the operation was made up of police officers of the CPPO DEU, Provincial Intelligence Branch, and the Balamban Police Station. 

Earlier in the day at 5 p.m., in Argao town in southern Cebu, a sawmill worker, who allegedly moonlighted as a drug peddler, was also killed in shootout with police officers during a buy-bust operation.

Richard Padin died after he was shot in body during the firefight with police officers of the Argao Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit, said Chief Inspector Rolan Aliser, Argao Police Station chief in a phone interview.

Aliser said that at least P10,608 worth of suspected shabu was taken from the body of the suspect.

Police also arrested Padin’s common law wife, Virgie Sumalinog.

Aliser said that Sumalinog would allegedly take over in selling illegal drugs from Padin, when he would report to work at the sawmill.

Aliser said that Padin was allegedly identified as a newly identified drug suspect.

Sumalinog was detained at the Argao Police Station detention cell pending the filing of charges./dbs