Almost on a daily basis every week, five suspected drug personalities got killed in buy-bust operations that resulted to shootouts.

Recently killed in a buy bust-turned-shootout happened to be a dismissed cop, identified as one Rene Estoque, a 48-year-old resident of barangay Bil-isan in Panglao.

In an operation of the combined forces of the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) or the SWAT Team, Regional Public Safety Battalion (RSPB)-7, and Panglao police conducted the buy-bust operation, in coordination with PDEA, at around 4 p.m. on August 19 in premises of Estoque’s residence.

After handing the sachet of shabu, Estoque allegedly pushed the cop who acted as poseur-buyer who tried to grasp his arms. Upon sensing the presence of other cops in the vicinity, he ran inside his house and fired his gun at the pursuing cops.

This prompted the pursuing cops to fire back.

The medical team of Panglao municipal government brought him to Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, but the attending physician pronounced him dead on arrival.

Aside from the sachet of shabu he handed to the poseur-buyer, the buy-bust team also recovered the 500-peso bill used as marked money, one large pack containing six small sachets of shabu, a medium-size pack of shabu, an empty memory card case containing three folded aluminum foil, the cellphone he used as means of communication in the transaction, and a .38 caliber Armscor 202 without serial number loaded with five rounds of live ammunitions, and a fired cartridge from the slain drug personality’s possession.

SIERRA BULLONES INCIDENT

In Sierra-Bullones, another buy-bust operation at around 8:20 a.m. on August 18 turned into a shootout when the subject allegedly resisted arrest.

The SWAT Team and the Municipal Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Task Group (MAIDSOTG) of Sierra Bullones Police Station conducted the buy-bust operation in coordination with PDEA at the secluded area of the national road along barangay Villa Garcia as previously agreed by the poseur-buyer and the subject, together with the informant.

Police identified the slain suspected drug pusher as one Rico Busaco, a 36-year-old married man and jobless resident of sitio Canlambong, barangay Abachanan, Sierra Bullones.

Buscao   is ranked no. 2 in the Top 10 drug personalities of Sierra-Bullones, according to the police.

Busaco came together with his driver, on board a motorcycle, and handed a sachet of shabu to the poseur-buyer and the suspect.

After the transaction, Busaco realized that it was a buy-bust and fired his firearm towards the police officers when he was about to be arrested.

Busaco immediately ordered his driver to speed off. The police team chased them.

The drug personalities suddenly stopped and they tried to escape on foot with Busaco still holding his gun and fired again at the pursuing cops.

This prompted the cops to fire back, hitting him on the nape twice.

Busaco was brought to Cong. Simeon Toribio Memorial Hospital in Carmen, but the attending physician declared him dead on arrival.

The composite police team recovered from his possession, the 500-peso bill used as marked money, 13 small sachets of shabu, a caliber 9mm Norinco pistol bearing serial no. 9800476 and its holster, two 9mm magazines, one magazine pouch, 13 pieces of 9mm live ammunitions, a cellular phone, and Busaco’s motorcycle; aside from the small sachet of shabu he handed to the poseur-buyer.

His companion who served as his driver managed to escape.

DAUIS INCIDENT

Also on the same day, another drug personality subjected to a buy-bust got killed when the operation resulted to another shootout in Dauis.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Bohol, PDEA and the police team of Dauis conducted the buy-bust operation at around 2:40 p.m. that day in barangay Mariveles.

The subject, Ronilo Laborte- -also known as Miloy, and to some, as Carmelo Laborte, allegedly engaged in a gunfight with the police officers.

Laborte had been tagged as a Level 2 pusher and placed in the target list of CIDG, while the Dauis police intelligence team labeled him as Top 1 drug personality in the town.

The buy-bust team recovered 15 grams of shabu with estimated value of P55,000, and a .38 caliber revolver from his possession.

UBAY INCIDENT

In Ubay on August 17, a buy-bust operation resulted to a shootout with the husband of a suspected drug pusher.

Teams from the Provincial Intelligence Branch, the CIDG, Regional Intelligence Division-Regional Special Operations Group, and Ubay Police Station conducted the buy-bust operation, in coordination with PDEA, at around 3 p.m. on that day in barangay Tipolo against one Alma Namoco-Damolo, a 42-year-old plain housewife.

The police officers successfully arrested her after the consummation of the sale of illegal drugs with a police officer who acted as poseur-buyer.

The husband, Rogelio Damolo- -also jobless- -sensed that Alma was transacting with cops. He drew his .38 caliber revolver, aimed it at the cops and pulled the trigger, but his firearm malfunctioned.

Having seen it, the police back-up team positioned at the back fired at Rogelio twice to prevent him from hurting the other police officers dealing with his wife.

The police team then rushed the bloodied Rogelio to the nearest Rural Health Unit in Poblacion area, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Items seized from Alma included the 500-peso bill used as marked money which she still clasped in her right hand then, a medium-size pack of shabu, a Doublemint small candy container she was also holding with eight small sachets of shabu inside it, two more medium-size sachets of shabu; aside from the small sachet he handed to the poseur-buyer.

The police officers found the .38 caliber revolver near the spot where Rogelio had fallen, loaded with four live ammunitions; along with an empty cartridge of .38 ammunition and a slug stuck in its barrel.

The hospital attendant also turned over to one of the police officers, a medium-size sachet of shabu recovered from Rogelio’s possession.

CITY INCIDENT

Another 26-year-old man subjected to a buy-bust operation in barangay Booy in Tagbilaran City also got killed when a shootout ensued.

The City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group of Tagbilaran conducted the buy-bust at around 11:20 a.m. on August 15 in a sub-village of Lawis in barangay Booy.

Right after handing a sachet of shabu, the subject, Edgar Sarmiento- -also known as “Pagong”, a resident of barangay Mansasa in Tagbilaran City, fired at the poseur-buyer.

This prompted the back-up police team to approach them and shot Sarmiento, hitting him on the chest and the head.

The buy-bust police team then contacted the police station, requesting for TARSIER 117 and the Scene of the Crime Operatives to come over.

Items recovered from Sarmiento included the buy-bust money of P500, two sachets of shabu found in the left front pocket of his shorts, a .38 caliber revolver without serial number with one fired cartridge case and four live ammunition cash amounting to P140, a cellphone; aside from the sachet of shabu he sold to the poseur-buyer.

In the course of the operation, the police team also arrested three others, one of them a minor, who were caught in the act of sniffing shabu inside the house where Sarmiento transacted with the poseur-buyer.

Police identified them as one Rio Jhoy Magparo, a 24-year-old resident of barangay Mansasa; Juvy Bangalao, a 20 years old; and a minor

The police team recovered a sachet of shabu placed on top of a table inside the house where they had a pot session, another sachet of shabu, and nine opened transparent plastic cellophane sachets containing shabu residues.