Drug bust turns sour, ‘drug pusher’ killed

A SUSPECTED drug pusher was killed during a shootout with police in Alaska Centro, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu last Sunday afternoon.

Police identified the suspect as Rodrigo “Dambo” Amampang, 47. Amampang was in the drugs watchlist of the Mambaling Police Station.

u201cIt was a buy-bust operation and the suspect attempted to pull his pistol as a form of resistance so our men were forced to shoot him first,” Senior Insp. Regino Maramag, chief of the Police Station 11, said.

Recovered from the scene was a .38 pistol with four live ammunition, 11 small sachets of shabu, a medium pack of shabu weighing five grams with an estimated value of P60,000 and several drug paraphernalia.

Maramag said that while they were building a case against Amampang, they received a tip that he was conducting illegal drugs activities in the area.

Manhunt

The suspect’s cohort, Julius Gadiana, 47, was also nabbed and one small sachet of shabu was found in his possession.

Maramag said police are still conducting a manhunt against a certain alias “Dagol,” who was able to escape during the buy-bust that took place around 4:30 p.m.

Dagol reportedly owns the shanty where the suspects were found.

The buy-bust was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7.

Gadiana will be facing charges for allegedly violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In another development, Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III will today give P200,000 as reward to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for facilitating the surrender of suspected drug lord Alvaro “Barok” Derecho Alvaro.

Durano told Sun.Star Cebu that the reward money was allocated in 2014 yet for the arrest of Alvaro, who is known as the most notorious and most wanted person in Danao City.

Resolution

The reward money will be given to NBI 7 Director Jose Justo Yap, who will motor to Danao City today for the turnover of the reward and the resolution passed by the Danao City Council commending the NBI operatives for securing the surrender of Alvaro.

The resolution stated that Durano has always been an active advocate against illegal drugs.

u201cHe (Durano) has been actively campaigning for the eradication of illegal drugs by encouraging arrest, apprehension and neutralizing persons involved in the illegal drug trade in Danao City,” read the resolution.

Durano said the basis for the detention of Alvaro after his surrender to the NBI were the cases filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) against him in connection with the raid in his (Barok’s) resthouse in Catmon where high-powered firearms and five kilos of shabu were confiscated.

2013 cop shooting

The raid was led by Senior Supt. Paul Labra, then chief of the Regional Intelligence Division.

Alvaro’s name first appeared in the PNP record in August 2006, when soldiers from the 78th Infantry Battalion chased him for carrying two sacks of high-powered firearms. The chase ended at the residence of his father, former Looc barangay captain Antonio Alvaro, who admitted owning the firearms.

The failure of the soldiers to arrest the Alvaros was investigated by SPO4 Jose Relampagos. Barok reportedly led a group of armed men, including his father Antonio and brother Brave, in shooting to death Relampagos in Sitio Pulangyuta, Looc, Danao City in 2013.

Durano said Alvaro was jailed for killing Relampagos but relatives of the victim withdrew the case after they were reportedly paid P3 million by the suspected drug lord.

Durano said the killing of two policemen in Catmon where Barok’s resthouse is located was reportedly related to his illegal activities.