STARTING Friday, Jan. 11, police officers escorting drug personalities would have to wear bulletproof vests.
The order was issued by Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Debold Sinas after drug suspect Tocelio Ababon was shot dead by six unidentified assailants in Barangay Bulasa, Argao on Wednesday morning, Jan. 9.
Sinas said a stray bullet got stuck in the back of the vest worn by PO3 Ruel Patalinghug, who, along with PO3 Crescenciano Alajid, were taking Ababon to the Argao Regional Trial Court Branch 26.
Ababon was allegedly the right-hand man of self-confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones, who reportedly had returned to his hometown of San Fernando.
The victim, who also wore a vest, sat in the back of the patrol car when the attack happened.
Last Dec. 29, Ababon yielded more than P10 million worth of shabu after he was caught in a drug bust by Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) operatives in Barangay Casay, Argao.
Sinas said they were looking at two angles in the ambush.
He said members of Sabalones’s group had been at odds with each other and Ababon possibly failed to pay his dues before his arrest.
“Kay kato ra ba diayng namatay murag usa to sa mga close-in (security) at saka trusted aide ni Franz Sabalones. Tapos, dako ang nakuha nga shabu sa iyaha. Basig gipangita nato aha ang kita. Naay internal squabbling sa ilaha (Ababon was reportedly a close-in security and trusted aide of Sabalones. A huge amount of shabu was seized from him. Maybe they were looking for the proceeds. It looks like there’s internal squabbling among group members),” Sinas said.
The police official assured that CPPO Director Manuel Abrugena was investigating the incident.
Sinas believed the ambush was planned because the culprits were waiting for the police car in Bulasa.
After his arrest, Ababon reportedly divulged the identities of police officials and other personalities who had connections to his illegal drug trade.
Meanwhile, CPPO investigators are still clueless on the identities of the gunmen who killed Ababon, as they wore full-face helmets during the ambush.
Abrugena said it looked like they knew about Ababon’s scheduled court appearance.
He said they were investigating police officials whom Ababon tagged as his protectors, but he did not consider them as “persons of interest.”
“We will build up the case and check their background,” Abrugena said. (FROM SCG, AYB OF SUPERBALITA CEBU, KAL)