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[av_heading heading=’Drug suspect killed in Pototan buy-bust ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – Police shot a drug pushing suspect in Barangay Jamabalud, Pototan, Iloilo yesterday morning.
The 30-year-old Joven Castroverde of Barangay Dalid, Calinog town died of gunshot wounds on the face and chest.
He fired at an undercover policeman, said Senior Inspector Bonifacio Alabe, Pototan police chief.
Castroverde was the 31st drug suspect to die in Western Visayas since July 2016 when the Philippine National Police launched Oplan Double Barrel, the campaign against illegal drugs.
A woman believed to be Castroverde’s companion was also arrested yesterday. Jessica Celda was a resident of New Lucena, Iloilo.
The buy-bust operation was carried out around 11:45 a.m. An “asset” of the police bought from Castroverde a sachet of shabu for P1,500.
“When he sensed that he was being entrapped, he drew a gun concealed under his shirt and trained it at our asset’s companion, the undercover cop,” said Alabe.
The policeman acted quickly. He kicked the suspect’s motorcycle and Castroverde fell to the ground.
Castroverde fired a shot but missed the police officer, said Alabe.
The policeman fired two shots at the suspect – one on the face and another on the chest.
Alabe said Castroverde was a newly identified high-value target in Iloilo province and was operating in the 4th and 3rd districts.
Aside from trafficking shabu, Castroverde was also into robbery, said Alabe.
The police recovered from the suspect a .45 pistol and five grams of shabu worth P42,500, excluding the sachet that the police asset bought.
On the other hand, he described Celda as the slain suspect’s “right hand” in the 4th District.
The woman, however, denied this.
Celda told Panay News she just happened to be in the area at the time of the police operation. She said she actually visited a friend, a certain Marjorie, in Barangay Jamabalud to buy mangoes.
“I was shocked that the police arrested me,” said Celda./PN
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