Police tag two slain suspects in Taptap shootout as ‘cult members’

By: Pegeen Maisie M. Sararaña - 3 years ago

The bodies of the three slain suspects in the shootout in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City lay in a morgue in Cebu City. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police tagged two of the three slain suspects in the shooting in barangay Taptap here as cult members.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, the deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that based on information from the Police Drug Enforcement Group in Region 7 (PDEG-7), the two slain suspects Boyet Rama and Christopher Lim were allegedly cult members. The third suspect was identified as Lihbonn Bargayo.

The three were killed in a shootout with police in a joint operation in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City on Thursday night, June 10, 2021.

READ: Police say drug suspects killed in Taptap could be part of big-time drug group

Parilla said Rama and Lim were previously arrested by members of the San Fernando Police Station as they were reportedly responsible for the series of shootings in the town. However, he could not disclose the specific year they were nabbed.

“[Based on] information given to us, miyembro sad diay ni sila diha sad og kulto nga naa silay gituohan nga agud-agud,” he said. “They are also considered as a gun for hire.”

Parilla said that the body of Lim was already claimed by his relatives on Sunday, June 13.

Recently, Police Major Alejandro Batobatolonos said that three slain suspects, Rama, Lim, and Bargayo were local contacts of a drug supplier based in Luzon.

READ: Police: P68M shabu came from Luzon-based Cebuano drug lord

As of this posting, police are still tracking this supplier.

Over the death of the three drug suspects, Parilla said this could be a huge factor in their fight against illegal drugs not only in Cebu City but also the whole region.

“Napulo ka kilos, daghan na unta kaayo ma supply-yan, mao na atong gipaninguhaan nga mukunhod na unta,”said Parilla.

He added that this will also serve as a reminder for those who are still involved in the illegal drug trade that the police are intensifying their operations against them.

/bmjo