[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Boracay ‘pusher’ 22nd casualty in WV drug war’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL and RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
BORACAY – A drug pushing suspect was killed in a buy-bust operation of the police in Sitio Lugutan, Barangay Manoc-manoc early morning yesterday.
The 35-year old Rafe Diamante, a former security guard, became the third drug suspect to die this year in Western Visayas and the 22nd since the Police Regional Office 6 kicked off Oplan Double Barrel against drug trafficking in July 2016.
A resident of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, Diamante died of two gunshot wounds on the body.
Around 4:57 a.m. Diamante sold a sachet of shabu to no less than the chief of the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC), Senior Inspector Jess Baylon, for P1,000.
When Baylon introduced himself as a police officer and tried to handcuff Diamante, the suspect drew a .38 revolver and pulled the trigger.
Fortunately, according to Baylon, Diamante’s gun malfunctioned. This gave the police chief the chance to defend himself. He shot dead the drug suspect.
Seven more sachets of shabu valued at P12,000 were recovered from Diamante.
“It wasn’t my time to go yet. Had Diamante’s gun went off, I would have surely died. God is still with me,” Baylon told Panay News.
Last year, Diamante was a subject of a buy-bust operation in Sitio Ambulon, Barangay Manoc-manoc but managed to escape. The police, however, recovered assorted handguns in the house he was staying.
“He got his supply of shabu from Iloilo,” Baylon said.
Diamante’s security agency fired him after discovering his illegal drug activities, according to sources.
He was placed under surveillance prior to yesterday’s buy-bust.
Citing intelligence information, Baylon said Diamante brought around 100 sachets of shabu to the island resort of Boracay.
The suspect may have disposed a lot of them prior to the buy-bust, sad Baylon.
“I believe he would have sold shabu in Kalibo, Aklan, too, that is celebrating its annual Ati-atihan Festival,” he added.
Yesterday’s antidrug operation was a joint effort of the Malay Municipal Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group, BTAC, Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group, Malay police station and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
The first drug suspect to die in the police’s antidrug operation this year in Region 6 was 42-year-old Elphy Sagpao. He was shot dead in Culasi, Antique on Jan. 1.
The following day, 23-year-old Joevanny Malutao Ballenas of Barangay Palma, Barbaza, Antique died in a buy-bust operation, too, in Barangay Funda Dalipe, San Jose, Antique./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
