THREE suspected drug pushers were killed in Dalaguete, Compostela and Cebu City in the past two days.

At 12:05 a.m. yesterday, Loreto Cabangcog, 41, was shot in the head by an unidentified assailant on a motorcycle in Barangay Saksak, Dalaguete.

In Barangay Pit-os, Cebu City, Moller “Willie” Bontilao Jr. died after he reportedly tried to open fire at operatives of Police Station 8 at 10:20 p.m. last Monday.

Fifty minutes later, Honesto “Botoy” Laurente Dagatan was killed after he reportedly tried to shoot at police officers, who were chasing him in Sitio Quimbal, Barangay Canamocan, Compostela.

His alleged cohort and uncle, Noel Dagatan, was also caught. Honesto was number eight on the town’s watch list of drug personalities.

With Cabangcog’s death, the number of pushers killed by unidentified culprits rose to 28.

The deaths of Bontilao and Dagatan raised the number of pushers killed in legitimate operations to 41.

More arrests

Operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group 7 caught suspected junkies Allan Umabo Cañizer and Gamaliel Hermoso Marollano in Sitio Bayabas, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City at 8:20 p.m.

The target, Hector Rivera, was able to escape.

Seized from the suspects were 10 grams of white crystals believed to be shabu worth P118,000. Drug paraphernalia were also confiscated.

Five hours earlier, suspected drug pusher Georich Maurillo Bacante and his alleged cohort FO2 Vlademir Joseph Abuan Macalan were captured in a buy-bust in Barangay Esperanza, San Francisco, Camotoes.

Bacante yielded 6.5 grams of shabu worth P76,700, while 0.3 gram of shabu worth P3,540 was taken from Macalan.

Bacante reportedly surrendered to police and promised not to engage in the illegal drug trade.

The arrested suspects will face complaints for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.