BACOLOD City – An active officer formerly assigned at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) was killed in an antidrug operation in Dipolog City, police and media reports said.
Superintendent Santiago Rapiz allegedly fought back at police operatives and antidrug agents out to arrest him during a buy-bust on Monday.
Rapiz, former chief of the Nocppo Police-Community Relations Division, was one of the seven officers from the provincial office relieved in October 2016 for their alleged involvement in the drug trade.
At the time, the Philippine National Police was at the height of leading the crackdown on illegal drugs – a flagship program of the administration of then newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte.
Rapiz was currently a logistics officer for the Zamboanga del Norte Police Provincial Office, stated a police report, a copy of which was furnished to Panay News by a source from the local police here.
Operatives from the PNP’s Counter-Intelligence Task Force, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Police Regional Office 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) conducted the operation against Rapiz at 7:40 p.m. at the Andres Bonifacio College Compound in Dipolog City, stated the police report.
Rapiz sensed that he was transacting with an undercover operative and ran away.
The operatives ran after and cornered him, but instead of turning himself in, Rapiz drew out a firearm and shot at the arresting officers, prompting the latter to fire back, the report stated.
Rapiz was taken to the Corazon C. Aquino Hospital in Dipolog where he was pronounced “dead on arrival.”/PN
