(UPDATED) Three suspected drug personalities were killed after they allegedly attempted to shoot at operatives during the province-wide simultaneous anti-criminality operations in Cebu, Thursday morning, August 23.

Those who died were in Talisay City, Mandaue City and Moalboal, Cebu.

Mandaue City Police Office Director Julian identified one of the fatalities as Eugene Fermin of Barangay Umapad.

In Sitio Magay, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City, Parolito Obrero was the identified fatality.

His alleged cohort, Robinson Dejacto, was arrested.

In Moalboal, police identified the fatality as Phil John Ediza, a suspected pusher in Barangay Poblacion East, Moalboal.

In other anti-drug operations, six suspected pushers were arrested in Argao, Cordova and Dumanjug.

Cordova Police Station Chief Efren Diaz Jr. said they arrested suspects Ardian Ventura Arbilon, 39, and Adrin C. Tariao, 23, in Purok Nangka, Barangay Day-as and Adrin C. Tariao, 23 years old, single, jobless and a resident of Sitio Ubos, Barangay Poblacion respectively.

Tariao had been listed as the tenth most wanted in the municipal level.

Two others were later caught in Sitio Panagdait, Barangay Ibabao. They are Juanito E. Demate, 37, and Jierlyn Mijares Bentulan, 23.

In Barangay Lawaan, Dumanjug, Perla Yongco Patiluna, 42, was arrested. She was a former drug surrenderer.

The operatives from Cebu Provincial Police Office caught Edgar Tapayan in Barangay Talaga, Argao.

The Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas initiated the one-time big-time (OTBT) operations with agents from the Philipline Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas.

Last July 18, the PRO-Central Visayas initiated the same OTBT operations that resulted in the deaths of six drug personalities and confiscation of P13 million worth of illegal drugs. (KAL/SunStar Cebu)