A 30-year-old man was killed after he tried to shoot a police poseur buyer during a buy-bust operation in Talisay City, Monday night, July 20, 2020. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Welmer Mahilum was asked by the police to surrender and undergo rehabilitation during the implementation of the government’s “Oplan Tokhang” campaign in 2018, but he never did.
Instead, he continued to sell illegal drugs to buyers in Barangay Tabunok in Talisay City.
Mahilum, who is considered a high-value target (HVT), was killed on Monday, July 20, after he tried to shoot a police asset who met with him during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Manga 1 in Barangay Tabunok at around 11:30 p.m.
Police Major Gerard Ace Pelare, chief of Talisay City Police Station, said that Mahilum did not make it to the hospital alive. He died from bullet wounds on his body.
But Talisay police arrested his common-law wife who was identified as Retchie Mae Florentino Nudalo, 25.
Police also recovered 10 grams of suspected shabu worth at least P68, 000 from the pocket of the shorts that Mahilum was wearing.
Acting in neighbors’ tips, Pelare said they placed Mahilum under surveillance for two weeks before they planned the buy-bust operation on Monday.
They sent a police poseur buyer to transact with him. The two met outside of the suspect’s house.
But when Mahilum sensed that he was transacting with a police poseur buyer, he drew his .45 caliber pistol and pointed this at the poseur buyer. This prompted policemen who were in the area to fire at him, hitting Mahilum on his body.
“The police operatives, upon sensing the danger, fired at the aggressor suspect that resulted in his neutralization and the arrest of his cohort,” Pelare said.
Policemen also arrested Nudalo who was hiding inside their house during the police operation.
Pelare said they continue to investigate Mahilum’s case to especially identify his source of illegal drugs and his other cohorts.
Quoting the outcome of their initial investigation, Pelare said that Mahilum is a known drug personality in Sitio Manga 1. He and Nudalo were already subjected to “Oplan Tokhang” but they never surrendered to the police. / dcb