Saturday, November 08, 2008 Cockpit mob averts arrest of ‘drug pusher’
A COMMOTION broke out on Thursday night when government agents tried to arrest a drug peddling suspect during a high-stakes derby in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City.
A six-man Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 team failed to arrest Crisostomo Llagumo of B. Rodriguez St., Cebu City, because cockfighting aficionados sided with him and came to his rescue.
Outnumbered PDEA 7 agents were forced to fire warning shots to prevent Llagumo’s sympathizers from getting closer.
Slugs were reportedly found at the scene but a police report did not specify how many.
The incident occurred past 10 p.m. in the New Talisay Tourist Sports Complex, which hosted a P20-million derby that night.
A blotter report of the Talisay City Police Station said Llagumo’s legal counsel also questioned the lack of an arrest warrant against his client.
This reportedly provoked an argument between the lawyer and Intelligence Officer 3 Yogi Filemon Ruiz, the PDEA 7 team leader.
The police blotter named Llagumo and the Central Visayas Breeders Association (CBVA) as the complainants. Sun.Star tried to get their comment but could not contact them as of press time.
It also mentioned that the operation was meant “to squeeze something” from Llagumo by threatening to arrest him.
The standoff ended when a team from the Talisay City Police Station arrived at the scene. The PDEA 7 also decided to call off the operation.
But PDEA 7 Acting Spokesman Jessie Tabanao told Sun.Star Cebu it was part of a legitimate hot pursuit operation against Llagumo, who allegedly managed to flee during a buy-bust on Lakandula St., Cebu City last Tuesday afternoon.
He said it was conducted with proper coordination with the Talisay PNP.
Tabanao said that Llagumo allegedly handed a big pack of shabu worth P50,000 to a cohort, who then turned it over to an agent posing as a shabu buyer.
Llagumo, however, quickly left the area with his companion, he said.
Tabanao said the PDEA 7 team went to the cockpit after they were tipped off about Llaguno’s presence.
Although the buy-bust happened last Tuesday yet, Tabanao said it was still part of the PDEA 7’s pursuit operations.
Llagumo ranked third in the PDEA 7’s list, he said.
The PDEA 7, he added, is preparing charges against the suspect for allegedly violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
PDEA 7 Director Randy Pedroso, in a separate interview, said their concern during Thursday night’s operation was the safety of civilians who were in the cockpit, which was why they did not push through with the arrest.
He said it was a continuing operation and covered by a pre-operations report “in connection with the Nov. 4 buy-bust.”
“This will not stop us from doing our job,” Pedroso said. (GC/With MEA)
