2 soldiers, 6 other drug suspects fall

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

POLICE arrested two soldiers and six drug suspects during separate buy-bust operations in Opol town and in this city since weekend.

Meanwhile, still unidentified men shot and killed a 27-year old man listed as a “drug personality” by a Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) while he was playing a “video karera” game in a house in Barangay 35, police said.

The arrests and the shooting death came just days after tough-talking President Duterte, who has repeatedly promised death to citizens involved in illegal drugs.

Authorities identified the arrested soldiers asS/Sgt. Roylan Nob of the Civil Military Operations (CMO) in Bukidnon, and Pfc. Randy Mark Cambronero.

They were arrested during a buy-bust operation at Zone-5, Barangay Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental on Monday afternoon. It was a joint operation by the Opol police, Regional Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Force, and Regional Intelligence Division.

Police said the soldiers, who were unarmed, yielded a sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu, five P100 bills that were marked money, and drug paraphernalia.

Authorities allegedly found in Cambronero’s motorcycle with license plate AAS-5600 more drug paraphernalia.

Chief Insp. Randy Anito, chief of the Opol police, said the soldiers were under surveillance for weeks.

“Last week ra unta namo ni makuha pero dunay kakuli-an pero gi-usaban namo og palit mao nga nakuha ra gyud og nahimong successful,” Anito said.

“They had identification cards and some bank documents,” he said.

Police said Cambronero went AWOL in 2013.

Maj. Joe Patrick Martinez, Camp Evangelista spokesperson, said Army officials would wait for the police to furnish them a copy of their investigation so they could press administrative charges against the soldiers. He said the soldiers would likely be subjected to summary dismissal proceedings.

Authorities were preparing charges for violation of RA 9165 for selling and possession of illegal drugs against the soldiers before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Over the weekend, the Opol police also arrested three “drug personalities” in Zone 3, Barra.

Police identified one of the suspects as Randolf Sabalo, 26. The other two suspects are minors.

Police seized three sachets of suspected shabu, and a motorcycle with license plate KA 81680.

On Sunday, authorities arrested who they called a major supplier of shabu in the city in a hotel on Osmeña St..

Members of the City Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force of the local police arrested Ronito Zafra, 26, of Zone 5, Igpit, Opol in Misamis Oriental, and Romar Jay Dagandara, 41, of del Pilar Street, this city.

Police alleged that Zafra is a major supplier of illegal drugs in Barangay 31. He is reportedly a relative of a police officer.

During a follow-up operation, police arrested Zafra’s girlfriend, Norayma Macapanton, 26, of Barangay 31 in a hotel on Capt. Vicente Roa St..

Chief Insp. Mario Mantala, chief of task force, said they seized from  Macapanton some 50 pieces of suspected shabu.

“Dagandara is on the watchlist of drug personalities of the Divisoria police station while Zafra and Macapanton are on top of the list of drug personalities of the Cogon police station. Dugay na namo kini sila gi-surveillance og nasapon ra gyud,” Mantala said.

But not all the drug suspects were arrested. One, a member of the Batang Mindanao 29 who was listed as a “drug personality” was shot and killed in Barangay 35, just two blocks away from the Cogon police on Sunday night.

Police said the victim, Kenneth Dutarot, 27, of Purok 7 in Barangay Gusa, this city, succumbed to multiple gunshots to the head, neck, and chest.

Dutarot was shot while he was playing video karera in the house of Belen Gosep, 67.

Police said the two assailants wore bullcaps and masks. They pumped at least seven bullets into Dutarot, and then walked away casually.

Dutarot was the first victim of a vigilante-style killing in the city since the start of the Duterte administration.

Witnesses said they thought the assailants were governmewnt agents because they declared “cleared” before they shot Dutarot.

“Abi namo sir og mga polis kay paspas kaayo molihok unya nag-bitbit naman gud og pusil pagsulod nila,” a witnesses said.

The Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) said the victim bore two gunshot wounds on head, one on the neck, one in the right biceps, right armpit and right chest. They also found seven empty shells and two slugs from a caliber .45 pistol.

Police said Dutarot was linked to snatching cases and drug dealing, and had cases for robbery and illegal possession of explosives.

SPO2 Aristotle Caseres said the victim was in the list of a Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac).