Jaguar ‘returns’ home

CEBU, Philippines - The body of suspected drug lord Jeffrey Otom Diaz alias Jaguar who was killed in an encounter with police in Las Piñas City Friday night has been transported to Cebu City.

Diaz's remains arrived yesterday dawn and were brought to his compound in Barangay Duljo-Fatima, prompting police to tighten the security in the area.

Chief Superintendent Patrocinio Comendador, director of Police Regional Office-7, said a platoon of police officers from Regional Public Safety Battalion-7 will be deployed in the area.

"Duna tay RPSB personnel nga i-detail sa Duljo to check the coming in and out of the persons," Comendador said.

Cebu City Police Office director, Senior Superintendent Benjamin Santos Jr., said he will also station Mobile Patrol Group personnel in the area and will coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard on the need to secure the seawaters near Barangay Duljo-Fatima.

"Duljo-Fatima, aside from RPSB, we also put some Mobile Patrol there and we are coordinating with Coast Guard sa shoreline, that's for the security of everybody and of the people who wanted to visit there," Santos said.

Comendador reminded the police officers detailed in the area to be very careful against any retaliation from Diaz's men.

"Revenge? Ang police willing ba kung ila lang g'yung tuyoon? We are prepared for that, ato nang giwarningan ang police officers," he said.

Comendador also ordered an investigation into the shooting of a spa near Duljo-Fatima's Barangay Hall around the time Diaz's body arrived in the compound.

An unconfirmed report said the shooting was a sort of an arrival honor for Diaz but the police were quick to deny this.

"Sa akong assessment ngano'ng pusilon man nila? Probably, they are persons angry with them nga naa silay establisamento nga gikan sa laing nga pamaagi. People are probably are very angry," Comendador said.

"Compared sa Duljo-Fatima nga mga beneficiary, daghang mga tawo nga tarong nga naglagot nga nagpakahilom lang," he added.

But he said he will have the incident investigated along with the other shooting incident in Talisay City last week.

Media barred

Members of the media were refused entry into Diaz's compound yesterday except for Bombo Radyo reporter Mjan Tirador who said she was assigned to interview the family.

As she went to the area, she was escorted inside the compound by a man. Once inside, she said she could see a casket inside one of the houses as people were busy preparing for the wake at a nearby chapel.

She waited until a man and a woman who preferred not to be identified approached her.

Tirador said the woman asked the media to give them time to grieve. After the short talk, she was immediately escorted outside.

Past 9 a.m. members of the Defense PNP Press Corps went to Duljo-Fatima but were not granted access to Diaz's compound.

Diaz's death was a result of PRO7's intensified campaign against the illegal drug trade that has been one of Comendador's priorities. 

Comendador hopes there will be no more deaths during the operations but said the police will use the necessary force to protect themselves.

"Since May 12-15 ba, hopefully di na mapun-an wa gyuy mahimo ang police kung mosukol alangan man og ilang kinabuhi ang mahitumpawak sa kalisod," he stressed. — (FREEMAN)