Talisay police looking at drug angle in killing of two men who are out on bail

Two men were killed in a strafing incident in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City late on Friday afternoon. /Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police are looking at the possibility that the killing of two men in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City late on Friday afternoon was drug-related.

Police Major Ardioleto Cabagnot, deputy chief of the Talisay City Police Station, said that the two suspects came from the Talisay City Palace of Justice to post bail for their drug cases and where on their way home when the taxi that they boarded was strafed by a still unidentified suspect.

Cabagnot said that Alvin Cueva, 44, and Joel Generalao, 30, were arrested in an anti-drugs operation in Barangay Lawaan 2 during the Holy Week by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7).  A complaint for the illegal possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia were already filed against them in court.

There is great possibility that the two men were killed after they could have given sensitive information to PDEA agents on their illegal drugs operation, said Cabagnot.

Cueva, a resident of Rainbow Ville, Barangay Pooc, is a known drug peddler in the area while Generalao, who from Sitio Kimba in Barangay San Roque, was his runner, he added.

Initial police investigation showed that a motorcycle tailed the taxi which the two men boarded. When their taxi reached the vicinity of Barangay Dumlog, the motorcycle rider did overtake their taxi unit and fired shots at the passengers who were seated at the back.

Cueva and Generalao were immediately killed while the taxi driver, who was identified as a certain Ronnie, was unharmed.

Personnel from the Scene of Crime Operatives (SOCO) recovered 18 slugs from a 9 mm caliber pistol and one unspent bullet in the area./dcb