‘Resistance is fatal’

IN A SPAN of one week, five suspected drug personalities were killed in four separate in police operations Western Visayas.

In three operations, the suspects were all armed with a caliber .38 revolver and a hand grenade.

Amid such “uniformity,” some netizens have begun to doubt if the slain suspects indeed “nanlaban” or put up a fight with the police.

Facebook user Gonzaga Cherrymae said, “ang kapulisan may involvement man sa drugs amu na nga gina pamatay nila ang ila downline. Dapat aksyonan sng atun mga taga babaw nga amigo. Ang RDEU damu pa supply nga granada na ila eh planted.”

[The police also have involvement in illegal drugs. That’s why, they’re killings their down line. Our friends on top should act on it. The RDEU has lots of supply of grenade to plant (as evidence)”].

The RDEU refers to the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, a police unit dedicated to run after illegal drug peddlers.

But another Facebook user, Chad Taz, countered the allegations claiming that such insinuations of “planting of evidence” should be proven.

The allegations that suspects could not have put up a fight surfaced after the live-in partner of slain drug suspect Gabriel Poblacion claimed that he could not have resisted the operatives.

Before Poblacion was shot to death, alias Duff heard him said, “Duff, indi lang maghibi (Duff, just don’t cry).”

Poblacion, who was released from incarceration five days before the police operation, was killed in a buy-bust operation 9:45 p.m. of Sept. 2 at Zone 3, Barangay Tacas, Jaro, Iloilo City.

Duff claimed they were about to sleep when they heard the incessant barking of dogs outside their house.

They later heard someone claiming, “Dapa! Dapa!” (Get down! Get down!)

They were then told to go out with her seven-month child, her parents, and a sibling.

Poblacion was left inside the house.

She claimed to have heard Poblacion asking the operatives to spare his family because he was following what they want him to do.

They then heard gunfire.

But Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, RDEU team leader, stressed that Poblacion pulled a gun and even fired it after learning that he was dealing with policemen.

Seven hours later, Jennifer Gobatanga, 32, and his cousin, Gayrell Gobatanga, 38, both residents of Zone 3, Barangay Ticud, La Paz, Iloilo City, were killed in another buy bust operation at San Jose, Antique.

They were also armed with a caliber .38 revolver and a hand grenade.

On July 27, RDEU also conducted a buy bust operation at Mol, Iloilo City.

Suspected drug pusher Alex Blanca, Sr., 52, was also killed and was yielded with a firearm and a grenade.

Two days later, a suspected member of the Prevendido Drug Group died in an anti-narcotics operation in Pavia, Iloilo.

But unlike the three operations, Richard Montefrio Gregori, 40, of Barangay Ungka 2, Pavia, Iloilo allegedly used a caliber .45 Norinco pistol.

Amid these deaths, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO)-6 said its campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes would be sustained and unrelenting.

“It is expected therefore that the number of arrested suspects will continue to increase as police operations continue,” said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police chief.

On the issue of deaths among suspects, “it would all depend upon the decision of these armed criminals whether to surrender peacefully or put up a fight with law enforcers,” he said.

“If they decide to peacefully surrender then there will be no more deaths if they do put up fight against law enforcers then such number may increase beyond our control,” Bulalacao stressed.

As such, the region’s top cop said they are appealing to criminals to cease from their evil acts.

“They should reform for good and surrender peacefully so that shootouts will be prevented which is much favorable for them and our operatives as well as we also want to avoid casualty among our operatives,” he added.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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