[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 tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’Antique drug suspect killed on Day 1 of 2017′ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
ILOILO City – A drug suspect with two pending cases in court was shot dead on New Year’s Day in Barangay Esperanza, Culasi, Antique.
Elphy Sagpao, 42, became the first person to die in the police’s antidrug operation in Region 6 this year but the 17th since Oplan Double Barrel was launched in July last year.
According to Police Officer 1 Elisa Grace Sinson of Culasi police station, Sagpao was shot around 4:47 p.m.
“He noticed the presence of police officers and he fired a gun at our operatives,” Sinson said.
The police officers fired back at the suspect.
Sagpao died of multiple gunshot wounds.
A .38 revolver with four live ammunitions and four sachets of shabu were recovered from Sagpao, a resident of Barangay Esperanza.
As early as July last year after the Philippine National Police launched its Oplan Double Barrel against illegal drugs, the Culasi police already called the suspect’s attention, said Sinson.
He was told to surrender but ignored the police, the officer added.
“We placed him under surveillance and this confirmed our long-held suspicion that he was into illegal drugs,” said Sinson.
Sagpao’s pending court cases were for raping his daughter and for parricide.
The 15th and 16th casualties in the police’s war against drugs in Western Visayas were also Antiqueños. Enecito Escaner was a resident of Barangay Sinaja, Belison, Antique while Robert Magbanua was a kagawad of Barangay Caridad, Hamtic town.
The two were shot on Nov. 22, 2016 in Hamtic.
As early as the second week of last month, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 all but declared the illegal drug trade in Western Visayas crippled.
Following the arrest of the three sons of slain suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr., a triumphalist-sounding Deputy Regional Director Levi Ortiz claimed they have dismantled the Odicta drug group.
He also asserted that the Prevendido drug group now exists only by name even if PDEA or the police have yet to arrest suspected drug lord Richard Prevendido.
“It is safe to say that demolished na ‘yung Odicta drug group,” Ortiz told Panay News.
He, however, was mum on the status of PDEA’s operation against the still at-large Prevendido.
“Naga i-exist na lang sila sa pangalan kasi lahat sila (identified members) may pending warrants of arrest at si Bonie (Prevendido Gregori) nahuli na. Paano pa sila makapagpalawak ng negosyo kapag on the run sila,” said Ortiz.
Bonie Gregori was a nephew of Prevendido. Ortiz described him as the “brain and muscle” of the Prevendido drug group.
The 14 other drug war casualties in Region 6 were:
* Romy Hisog
* couple Melvin and Meriam Odicta
* Elpidio Geroy
* Welmer Gomez
* Marck Anthony Sorongon
* retired Senior Police Officer 1 Wilson De Leon
* Reynante Tanaleon
* Michael Huesca
* Paul Centeno
* Michael Angelo Abebinir
* Kenneth Sumudivilla
http://www.panaynews.net/wp-admin/post-new.php#save
* Panfilo Artuz, and
* Freddie Sumbing.
PDEA also made an implicit warning to the families of drug suspects that they could be the next targets.
“No amount of money, interest or connection can save you kapag magpatuloy pa kayo sa pag-operate kasi kami sa PDEA we will do our job,” said Ortiz./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
