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By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents

PRESIDENTIAL Communi-cations Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday gave this advice to the families of dead people in President Duterte’s list of drug personalities: present the death certificates.

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He said removing names from the watch list cannot be done easily even if those listed have already died or have been convicted.

The only remedy, according to Andanar, is for the families of the deceased to present death certificates. Unless they do this, he said, the names of their loved ones would remain in the watch list.

Andanar said it would now be up to those who are alive to defend themselves and prove their innocence.

“When you’re in the watch list… meaning, you’re a person of interest… if you’re a politician, have yourself investigated; if you’re a policeman in service, go back to your barracks and have yourself investigated as well,” Andanar told reporters here.

He added: “Kung musukol ka, patay gyud ka.”

Andanar said the Duterte administration’s ongoing campaign against illegal drugs should be a cause for “celebration” because the aim is to make officials and policemen have a drug-free lives.

He said the crime rate would continue to shoot up unless the government rid the country of illegal drugs.

Duterte’s list of drug personalities that include seven active and former policemen in Region 10 came as a shock to Camp Alagar but it quickly acted on the revelation, the police spokesman for northern Mindanao said yesterday.

The official, Supt. Surki Sereñas, said of the seven, only three were still active members of the police in Region 10.

Sereñas said three of the policemen were immediately ordered relieved from their posts.

He said police regional director Chief Supt. Noel Constantino also ordered the three to be disarmed, and placed under camp restrictions.

Constantino has also issued an order to all ground commanders to relieve, disarm and restrict to barracks all police personnel with linkls to the illegal drug trade.

“We will make sure that they will be answerable, criminally and administratively,” said Constantino, adding that the National Police has “zero tolerance” on illegal drug activities.

He said those linked to the illicit drug trade are to report to the Administrative Holding Office at the Regional Headquarters Support Unit of Camp Alagar  where they would be restricted while they face criminal and administrative charges.

Constantino also ordered the immediate recall of all police security escorts assigned to politicians in Region 10 who were named by Duterte.

Shootout

In another related development, a drug suspect was killed while a police officer, an ex-soldier, and two civilians were hurt in a police shootout in Zone 1, Barangay Iponan here on Saturday afternoon.

Police identified the fatality as Carl Vincent Baranggot, 22, a resident of Barangay Taboc, Opol, Misamis Oriental.

SPO1 Ronald Eugenio, chief for intelligence operations of the Opol police, sustained a gunshot wound on chest and chin.

Also wounded were Juric Labrador, a former member of the 4th Military Intelligence Group, bystanders Dennis Rapirap of Barangay Patag and jeepney barker and taxi driver Bernie Taclindo of Logilo, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental.

The Bulua police station took a Honda XRM 125 motorcycle owned by Labrador that was left near Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Bulua.

Police said  a surveillance operation was being made in the area at that time.

Insp. Ron Baba, deputy station commander of the Opol police, said Eugenio was conducting a surveillance along with Labrador.

“Naigo si Baranggot sa iyang ulo hinungdan sa iyang hinanaling kamatayon og nahulog sa motorsiklo. Samtang ang usa ka suspect dali kini nga mipaharurot sa motorsiklo wala matinong direksyon,” he said.

The Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) found four empty shells from a caliber .45 pistol, seven empty shells from a 9mm pistol, six cellophanes with suspected shabu, a cellphone, and a folded paper with a note “Pusher Ako, Huwag Tularan.”

Eugenio and Labrador were rushed to the Polymedic Hospital.

Meanwhile, Chief Insp. Alvies Altiche of the Bulua police said they apprehended 44-year old  Darius Rosol of Sitio San Lazaro, Barangay Lapasan, at the Polymedic Hospital.

Altiche said he responded to a call for assistance by a hospital watcher who reported that Rosol had a gun with him.

Altiche said Rosol had a license for the gun but he did not have a permit to carry it. The gun had a magazine with seven bullets.

“Makaduda iyang presence didto mao nga amo siya gi-detain,” he said.

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