A bystander was wounded after a suspected drug pusher threw a grenade at approaching policemen conducting a buy-bust operation in barangay 2, Tuburan town, northwestern Cebu last Friday.
One of the policemen managed to shoot the suspect, Jonald Calaunan, 25, on the thigh and buttocks before taking cover from the grenade.
Calaunan was later arrested and brought by policemen to the hospital.
Tattoo artist Jiosias Paglinawan, 30, who was attending to Calaunan in the house of the suspect’s aunt, was hit by shrapnels on his neck and shoulder.
He was also brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for treatment.
The raiding team led by Chief Insp. William Homoc, Tuburan police chief, also confiscated illegal drugs weighing 6.32 grams and worth at least P75,000, 71 empty sachets, an improvised glass tube tooter, a safety lever of a hand grenade and P400 cash, which is believed be proceeds from illegal drug deals.
PO3 Roberto Rondina and PO3 Entia of the Tuburan police said Homoc and his team were moving in to arrest Calaunan after PO1 Maverick Polotan of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) bought a small pack of shabu for P300 from the suspect.
Polotan held Calaunan’s hand to stop him from fleeing after he got the illegal drugs and to give time for the other policemen led by Homoc to move in.
Calaunan, however, resisted and freed himself from Polotan’s grip.
The suspect then pulled out a grenade from his pocket and threw it toward Homoc and his men, whom the suspect saw approach them.
“The suspect has a picture of Chief William and me in his cell phone. That’s why he recognized us when we approached them,” Rondina said in Visayan.
He said Jugan was just there to tattoo the suspect and was not involved in the illegal drug trade.
He said they monitored Calaunan’s activities for at least a month before they conducted the buy-bust operation.
He said they considered Calaunan as a level 3 drug pusher or one who could dispose of 100 grams to 200 grams of illegal drugs in a week.
Calaunan will be charged with selling and possession of illegal drugs./ With a report from Correspondent Rene F. Alima