Suspected Agusan drug dealer slain in PDEA, CIDG operation

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

AGENTS of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) shot and killed a suspected illegal drug dealer during an operation in  Upper Zone 3, Barangay Agusan, this city, at 5:40 am on Saturday.

The slain suspect was identified as Jovan Sevilla.

Chief Insp. Melgar Devaras, CIDG head here, authorities raided the house of Sevilla based on a search warrant issued by regional Judge Dennis Alcantar.

Devaras said they were about to serve the warrant to Sevilla but the latter allegedly took a grenade from his pocket and attempted to explode it, prompting PO1 Joseph Dalman to shoot the suspect.

Devaras said Sevilla was rushed to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) where he was declared dead on arrival.

Authorities found and seized a M26 grenade, a caliber .45 pistol and seven bullets in the house of Sevilla.

They also seized suspected shabu in plastic sachets, drug paraphernalia, and a potted marijuana plant.

Also found in Sevilla’s home were P11 thousand in cash which police believe to be drug money, and a motorcycle.

Devaras claimed Sevilla was a notorious criminal in Cebu City, and was the primary suspect in the murder of one Kruss Barros and the wounding of Aileen Barros of barangay Agusan.

He said Sevilla allegedly murdered Kruss Barros on Nov. 27, 2015. This was the reason, Devaras explained, that the Barroses filed a murder and frustrated murder charges against Sevilla.

Devaras denied that Sevilla was in their watch list or the PDEA’s. But he maintained that Sevilla was notoriously known to have sold drugs in Agusan.

But in a radio interview on Saturday, Sevilla’s mother, and common-law wife alleged that they saw Sevilla raising his hands in surrender just before he was shot by the authorities.

Sevilla’s mother claimed her son was a furniture maker, and she was unaware that he had a gun and a grenade.