Police cordon the area where a man, later identified to be on the police drug watchlist, was ambushed and killed in Barangay Pit-os, Cebu City on Sunday, Feb 17, 2019. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Was Joselito Junyo, the man who was killed in an ambush on Sunday, February 17, in Barangay Pit-os, Cebu City, a casualty of a drug war?
Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) chief, said that Junyo might have been involved in a drug war between two groups in the drug trade.
Garma said that Junyo had been in their list of drug personalities being monitored in the area, and further investigations even showed Junyo’s alleged involvement in the drug trade with his alleged operations allegedly covering the whole region.
“I received an information that involved siya sa illegal drug trading not only in Cebu, but also outside, within the Region 7 (Central Visayas). Medyo malalim ang network nya at link,” she said.
Garma said that Junyo might have been involved in the drug war between two groups because Junyo’s operations were traced to Samar.
She said they were still trying to find out when Junyo did move to Cebu, and whether his move here was caused by his alleged drug troubles in Samar.
“Pumunta siya dito sa Cebu tapos alam naman natin na competitive and drug trade sa Cebu kay iche-check natin baka ito ang ikinamatay niya,” said Garma.
However, she said that they would check deeper on the background of Junyo and would also look into whether he hailed from Cebu or from Samar.
Read more: Man linked to drug trade ambushed, killed in Pit-os, Cebu City
Last Sunday, Junyo had just left his house driving a Toyota Innova when he was ambushed by four men on two motorcycles peppered Junyo’s car with bullets.
The wounded Junyo, managed to go out of his car and rush to the sidewalk, but the two armed backriders, pursued Junyo and finished him off at the sidewalk.
They then fled after they finished off Junyo.
Police said they had yet to identify the four motorcycle-riding assailants.
Garma also said that there had been movements in the illegal drug trade in the country involving drug lords and dealers.
She said that these drug lords from Metro Cebu were found to have moved to Metro Manila and those from Metro Manila and other provinces were observed to have moved to Metro Cebu.
“Umaalis sila sa mga lugar na pinanggalingan nila. Pumupunta sila dito kasi dito hindi sila kilala. Pero dito sa Cebu, lumiliit na ang mundo nila kasi na-iidentify na sila,” said Garma.
She also said that the movement of drugs in country had also matched the speed of the police in tracing the source.
She said that once a shipment would arrive, these illegal drugs would be distributed almost immediately to avoid detection.
For this reason, Garma said she was hoping the community would cooperate in reporting any illegal activities in their area to help them in stopping the illegal drug trade here./dbs