110 people slain in drug war in Normin

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

AUTHORITIES have so far killed over 100 people, mostly suspected small-time drug peddlers, in the government’s bloody “war on drugs” in Region 10.

The anti-illegal drug operations in the region nearly had identical circumstances and outcomes — suspects allegedly dealt with undercover agents, sensed the entrapment along the way, drew guns and fired at the police but missed, and then got shot dead. Many of them also had no substantial amount of cash with them except for marked money that ranged from P500 to less than P1 thousand.

Supt. Surki Sereñas, Camp Alagar spokesman, said some 110 drug suspects were killed throughout Region 10 in the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

The death toll reached about 100 in September, said Sereñas, adding that those who were killed fought back. It rose by about 10 more so far this month.

The latest was 30-year-old Jovanie Nazareno a.k.a. Van-van of Barangay 35, this city. He was killed during a joint  buy-and-bust operation carried out by the Puerto police and the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office in Zone 3, upper Agusan, at around 11:20 pm Monday.

Police said Nazareno was the 10th drug suspect killed in Cagayan de Oro since the government launched the crackdown in 2013.

Chief Insp. Evan Viñas, Puerto police chief, said Nazareno dealth with a police officer who went undercover, and then used a caliber .45 pistol when he realized that it was a buy-and-bust operation.

Like the other suspected drug peddlers slain before him, Nazareno did not hit any of the officers that were about to pounce on him.

Viñas said the officers fired back and killed Nazareno with two gunshots to the chest.

Viñas said Nazareno was rushed to the Sabal Community Hospital in Puerto where he was declared dead on arrival by Dr. April Balano.

Viñas said the dead man had suspected shabu that weighed only 0.050 grams and only P500, the alleged drug-bust money.