The month of August started with a bloody beginning for suspected top drug personalities.

The first two days of the month were marked by deaths of alleged top criminals including that of the number three drug suspect in Sierra Bullones who was shot eight times in the head and twice in the body while he was asleep on a hammock.

The victim, Romulo Quimpson Jr., was gunned down in Barangay Tugas, Candijay on Monday morning by an unidentified suspect.

At around 7p.m. on the same day, a noted close associate of Quimpson, Jason Diaz, 27, was shot at three times inside a restaurant in Sierra Bullones but survived the attempt on his life unharmed.

The victim, a resident of Brgy. Villa Gracia in Sierra Bullones, is listed as the top two drug suspect in the town, police said.

In Clarin town, Epifanio Camangyan, a suspected gun-for-hire who was also reportedly involved in illegal drug activities, was shot to death by an unknown gunman Tuesday past 11a.m.

He was shot by motorcyclists riding tandem while he was also traveling onboard his motorcycle along the national road in Barangay Candajec of the said town.

According to Clarin chief of police Insp. Fernando Peroramas, Camangyan was sixth on their watch list.

Camangyan was a probationer and was on his way home from a probation office in Tubigon as he was scheduled to make an appearance on that day, his wife said.

At 8pm, also on Monday, Herculano Dopenyo and half-brother Arly Ayeng were shot dead inside a rented apartment along Pamaong Ext., Tagbilaran City by an unidentified suspect.

Police are eyeing illegal drugs involvement as possible reason behind the killings noting that Ayeng had surrendered to Tagbilaran City authorities after being subjected to Oplan Tokhang but continued to engage in illegal activities. (Allen Doydora)