June starts with 6 killings, drug busts yielding P1.1M shabu

Two men were arrested with P816,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation along J. Labra Street, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, in the afternoon of June 5, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of PDEA-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Killings and illegal drug trading are slowly coming back after the first week of June saw six killings and the confiscation of at least P1.1 million worth of suspected shabu in two buy-bust operations.

This developed after the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Cebu transitioned from the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to the general community quarantine (GCQ) on June 1.

Police had earlier claimed that there were lower crime rates during the ECQ because of the strict restriction of travel and more policemen on the streets.

With the easing of these restrictions with the GCQ, police have seen a resurgence of killings and some operations of illegal drug traders.

Of the six killings reported in the first week of June, three of these happened in Lapu-Lapu City and the other three incidents happened in Cebu City.

The latest of the six killings involved a fish vendor identified as Edward Amaquin, 49, from Barangay Apas, Cebu City. Amaquin was stabbed dead by his common-law wife’s ex common-law husband.

Mabolo Police investigators are still looking for the suspect identified as Ismael Manila.

Read: Police after suspect in killing of fish vendor from Brgy Apas, Cebu City

A few days back on Wednesday, June 3, another fish vendor from Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City identified as Edgar Daño Espinosa, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen while he was on his way to sell his fish.

Espinosa was the third person killed in Lapu-Lapu City in the first three days of the month.

Read: Fish vendor on bike shot dead in Lapu-Lapu City

On Monday, June 1, a 34-year-old job order employee of the Lapu-Lapu City government was shot and killed by unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in Sitio Coles, Barangay Bankal at past 1 p.m.

Read: Gunmen kill Lapu-Lapu JO in Bankal attack

The next day, June 2, an 18-year-old boy, Leo Padillo Duhig, was shot while walking along the street in Sitio Casio also in Barangay Bankal at 7:30 p.m.

Read: Another shooting in Bankal, Lapu-Lapu claims life of 18-year-old boy

Two other men were also shot dead in Barangay Buhisan and Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.

As of this time, police continue to investigate the cases and try to trace the whereabouts of the assailants.

For the buy-bust operations, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) has arrested 3 persons in two separate operations in the first week of June.

On June 2, the PDEA-7 agents arrested a drug trader along El Filibusterismo Street, Barangay Ermita, here, with P340,000 worth of suspected shabu.

Read: P340K worth suspected shabu confiscated in Ermita bust

On June 5, PDEA-7 agents conducted another buy-bust operation and arrested two men in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City and confiscated 120 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated worth of P816,000.

PDEA-7’s drug haul was estimated to be at P1.1 million.

The PDEA-7 continues to encourage the public to help them arrest illegal drug traders by reporting illegal drug activities in their community.

The agency said that the successful operations they conducted this June were from the information reported by people in the community and they validated.

PDEA-7’s drug busts, however, happened after Cebu City policemen arrested 23-year-old woman of Barangay Guadalupe, who was caught with P2.3 million worth of suspected shabu on May 31.

Cebu City police arrested Ma. Joe-Ann Juezan Cabornay during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Labangon on that day.

Read:Woman, 23, to spend birthday in jail after she was caught with P2.3M shabu

Cabornay, who was to have celebrated her birthday on June 1 with family, celebrated it inside the jail./dbs