4 dead in separate shooting incidents

CEBU, Philippines — A drug personality was killed while his companion evaded police arrest after anti-illegal drug operatives conducted a buy-bust operation in Purok Orchids, Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City Tuesday dawn.

Gun-ob Police Station 3 officer-in-charge Senior Inspector Joey Bicoy said suspect Ariel Oronan resisted arrest and fired at one of the policemen.

Fortunately for the policeman, he was unharmed because he was wearing a bullet- proof vest.

Oronan, a resident of Purok Yakal of the said barangay, reportedly fired shots when he sensed that the person he negotiated with was a police officer.

Recovered in the operation were 9.16 grams of suspected shabu that is valued at around P108,088 and an unlicensed .357 revolver, reportedly used by Oronan.

Separate Shootings

Meanwhile, three deaths were reported Tuesday night in two separate shooting incidents.

Around 11 p.m., a certain Diosdado Soriano, 53, who is from Barangay Bangcogon, Oslob was shot by a certain “Jo-Ai” in Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City.

Based on reports, victim was fetching water when he was suddenly approached by the gunman who fired two consecutive shots.

An hour after, live-in partners Haide Franza and Ronald Paglinawan were shot inside their residence in Barangay Tulay, Minglanilla, Cebu.

It was reported that an unidentified assailant barged in and fired shots at the victims.

Police said that Haide was the former live-in partner of a slain drug personality Juvie Franza.

Oplan Pokemon

In another development, authorities seized around P4.6 million worth of suspected shabu during a string of anti-illegal drug operations in the city.

Bulk of the drugs confiscated was during the weekly roundup dubbed as 65th Oplan Pokemon participated by the eleven police stations from Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

The Drug Enforcement Units (DEU) from each station netted a total of P4.1 million worth of shabu with an estimated weight of 37.62 grams, from 42 drug suspects, out of the 67 men arrested caught committing other crimes.

In one of the operations, P2,065,000 worth of shabu was recovered from Mark Abella, during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Sampaguita Barangay Tejero, Cebu City.

Superintendent Christopher Navida said Abella is considered level one high-value target due to the bulk of drugs he can dispose.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7, for its part, also arrested drug suspects Jose Allan Berdin, 25, Efren Julito, 26, and a 17-year old, in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City. —/GAN (FREEMAN)