A DRUG pusher who was fourth on Barangay Buhisan’s watch list was shot dead during a police operation in Sitio Kawayanan last Sunday night.
The suspect was identified as Presco “Pikoy” Cabingatan.
Cabingatan, who hailed from Barangay Toong, was also a known holdupper in the area, police said.
“He pulled out his gun and attempted to escape. He planned to shoot at the police,” Senior Insp. Alvin Llamedo, chief of Cebu City Police Station 10 said in Cebuano.
A concerned citizen had called the station and reported an armed person in the area. He said the person was also carrying a hand grenade.
Llamedo said the caller also alerted the City Intelligence Branch so the two units coordinated to catch Cabingatan.
Llamedo said Cabingatan noticed their presence when they approached so the latter pointed his gun at them, prompting them to shoot him.
Grenade
The suspect was declared dead on arrival at the Cebu City Medical Center.
Recovered from the scene were a hand grenade, a homemade .38 revolver with two live ammunition, two sachets of shabu and P1,000.
Llamedo said Cabingatan was involved in a series of holdups in Barangays Punta Prinsesa, Mabolo and Mambaling.
He also acted as a drug runner and he repacked drugs that were sold in their barangay.
Police tried to get him to surrender during Oplan Tokhang, but they couldn’t find him.
Llamedo said Cabingatan, who posed as a habal-habal driver, also robbed his passengers.
His name had several hits in three police stations for snatching and holdup.
His alleged victims were able to give his description to police, enabling them to come up with his profile.
A cellphone from one of his recent victims was bought by a barangay official and was traced to Cabingatan.
Nine more suspected drug users and pushers were arrested during separate buy-busts over the weekend.
Vendors
Last Sunday, Jimmy Balante, 27, and Fidel Geronda, 49, who are both Carbon vendors, were arrested together with 22-year-old Michael Acaso allegedly having a pot session in a shanty in Sitio Kastilaan, Barangay Ermita.
In a separate operation in the same area, Noel Del Pilar, 31, was arrested with 16 sachets of suspected shabu.
In Barangay Punta Princesa, Amaparo Gaviola, 40, was arrested with six sachets of suspected shabu during a buy-bust last Saturday.
Gaviola, who surrendered during Oplan Tokhang, is detained at Police Station 10.
Also last Saturday, Robert Belicario, 27, and Gestony Sabehon, 29, were allegedly caught using drugs after a concerned citizen called the attention of police, who were conducting Oplan Tokhang in Sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Kinasang-an.
In Sitio Mahayahay, 32 sachets of shabu and P7,000 were recovered from Jobe Bacalla, 32, and Marites Rama, 25, during a buy-bust.
They were taken into custody after they handed three sachets of suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer and accepted the P500-payment.
Police also recovered 29 sachets of shabu from the two when they frisked him. Julie Mae Altamira & Danielle Ann A. Tan, USJ-R Journalism Interns