3 drug suspects nabbed after shootout with Mandaue police; target of buy-bust operation escapes

Basak police arrested drug suspects Sugarey Manatad (second from left), Anselmo Amuncio (2nd from right) and Cherry Ouano (right) during a buy-bust operation at dawn today, October 28, 2019. | Photo courtesy of the Basak Police Station

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Three persons were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Sitio Sab-a, Barangay Basak, Mandaue City at dawn today, October 28, 2019.

But the subject of the operation, who was identified as a certain Allan Ouano, was able to elude arrest after one of his cohorts engaged police in a shootout.

Police Major James Conaco, chief of Basak Police Station, said that Allan also has a pending warrant for the murder of a fraternity member from the neighboring Barangay Paknaan who engaged in a fight with his son a few months back.

Conaco said they sent a poseur buyer to Allan’s residence to buy a sachet of shabu at around 2:30 a.m. today, but the suspect sensed the presence of policemen in the area.

Anselmo Amuncio, Allan’s cohort, engaged the police team in a shootout but was wounded on his right leg.

Conaco said that while Allan eluded arrest, they managed to collar Amuncio and Cherry Ouano, 40.  Cherry is Allan’s younger sister.

The police team also arrested a certain Sugarey Manatad, 37, who tried to intervene in Cherry’s arrest.

Allan Ouano, Amuncio, Manatad and Cherry Ouano are neighbors in Sitio Sab-a in Barangay Basak, Mandaue City.  All of the four suspects were inside Allan’s residence during the buy-bust operation.

Conaco said they recovered a .22 revolver with four live ammunition and two medium packs and four sachets of suspected shabu estimated to be worth at least P20,000 from Amuncio’s possession while the P500 marked money was with Cherry.

Basak police are now preparing complaints for the violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against the four suspects. / dcb