No deaths reported in third synchronized police operations in Cebu City

CEBU CITY, Philippines – There were no reported casualties when the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) conducted their third Synchronized Enhanced Management Police Operations (SEMPO) for this year.

Based from the official report from the CCPO, they conducted a total of 33 operations – 7  buy-bust operations, seven stemmed from warrants of arrest, and nine from search warrants  for suspected drug personalities and those who allegedly possess loose firearms.

CCPO’s third SEMPO, which lasted for 36 hours, from midnight of Wednesday, February 27, 2019, up to midnight of Friday midnight, March 1, 2019, also led to the arrest of 21 individuals, most of whom were involved in the illegal drugs trade.

A total of P2.27-million worth of illegal drugs, weighing 397.41 grams, were seized from the suspects.

Senior Inspector Arieza Otida, public information officer of CCPO, said they were delighted that no lives were claimed when they conducted their third SEMPO, which is the new term coined for PNP’s One-Time-Big-Time operation.

Otida said the subjects of the search warrants and buy-bust operations were “cooperative and did not resist” the police.

“Cooperative ra ang subjects, and nobody resisted. They did not resist so possibly they learned their lessons (before). Nalipay mi nga walay casualties,” she said.

Read more: Lusaran shootout: Two tanods, tanod’s wife killed; cop wounded; loose guns seized

Last week, the CCPO conducted their second SEMPO for 2019, wherein four individuals were killed after they reportedly engaged the police in a shootout in the hopes of evading arrest.

Read more: Ecstasy supplier in Cebu City killed in shootout – police

Those who died included two barangay tanods, a wife of a barangay tanod, and an alleged supplier of ecstasy. /bmjo