A drug suspect was killed in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Casili, Mandaue City late night on Saturday, February 12, 2022. | MCPO photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Jomar Espina went to Mandaue City with a still unidentified companion, at around 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 12, to deliver suspected shabu to a buyer who was waiting in a secluded area in the mountain barangay of Casili.
But he was killed in a shootout with his supposed buyer, who turned out to be a policeman, and other law enforcers who were waiting for him in the dark.
Espina was unable to escape after his companion fled on a motorcycle and left him.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Franc Oriol, deputy director for operations of Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said they recovered about a kilo of suspected shabu worth P6.8 million from the suspect.
Oriol said Espina, who is from Barangay Tejero in Cebu City, is on MCPO’s drugs watchlist after his name was repeatedly mentioned in their previous buy-bust operations.
Saturday night’s buy-bust operation was the second that MCPO planned in less than 24-hours and which led to the recovery of millions worth of suspected shabu.
At about 1 a.m. of the same day, police also arrested drug suspect Joylyn Andamon of Barangay Basak-Pardo in Cebu City for the possession of at least P6.8 million of shabu. The operation was made along D.M. Cortes Street in Barangay Alang-alang that is located close to Barangay Centro where the City Hall is located.
READ: Woman caught with P6.8M worth of ‘shabu’ in Mandaue City
Oriol suspects that Espina and Andamon get their shabu from the same supplier.
Self-Defense
Espina, Oriol said, is always on the move. He would not stay in a particular place for a long period of time, the reason why it took a couple of weeks before they were able to finalize their buy-bust operation.
He said they sent a policeman to transact with Espina. The delivery of the shabu was scheduled in Barangay Casili at about 10 p.m. Saturday.
But the suspect may have sensed that he was dealing with a cop, the reason why he tried to fire a shot at their poseur buyer using his unlicensed .38 caliber revolver, Oriol said.
“Nakabantay siguro ni ang suspetsado, nagduda siguro sya nga pulis ang iyang gika transact. Kalit lang ni siya nibunot iyang armas unya gipusil ang atoang operatiba may gani kay wa maigo,” Oriol said.
(The suspect might have noticed that he was transacting with a policeman. He suddenly brought out his gun and fired at our operative but missed.)
“Unya nisuway pani siya og ikyas uban iyang kauban pero nabyaan ni ang suspetsado. Nahitabo na out of self-defense. Napugos pag pusil ang atoang operatiba,” he added.
(He also tried to escape but was left behind by his companion. What we did was self-defense. Our operatives were forced to retaliate.)
Espina died from a bullet wound on his body. Oriol said he continues to wait for the official report from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) to determine where the suspect was hit.
Same Supplier
While they continue to investigate Espina’s case, Oriol said, they are also looking at the possibility that he had the same drug supplier as Andamon. The shabu that police confiscated from the two suspects has similar packaging.
“Naa silay indication nga pareho silag supplier atong nadakpan nato nga si Joylyn. Naay similarity sa ilang packaging sa illegal nga drugas although wa pa nato ma confirm but part pani siya sa atoang analysis karon,” he added.
(There are indications that he and Joylyn get their shabu from the same supplier. We saw similarities in the packaging of the illegal drugs although we are yet to confirm this in our analysis.)
Both suspects also deliver to buyers in parts of Cebu province and the neighboring cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and they are able to dispose at least a kilo of shabu per week, Oriol added.
RELATED STORIES
Sari-sari store owner, 4 others nabbed in Subangdaku buy-bust
Pregnant woman nabbed with P7M worth of illegal drugs in Mandaue