BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – An employee of the Department of Education (DepEd) who was shot dead last Thursday in San Francisco town in Agusan del Sur was included in a drug trafficking watchlist, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Friday.
PDEA 13 regional director Erwin Ogario told The STAR that Rico Amora Tiu, 40, had been in their target list since 2011.
Ogario said the anti-narcotics operatives were planning an entrapment operation against Tiu, but the attack came even before they could implement the sting.
Tiu was killed in front of school children at the San Francisco Pilot Elementary School.
Investigators said Tiu had just arrived on a motorcycle when the gunman approached and shot him several times.
Tiu died at the scene from three gunshots to the body.
The San Francisco police confirmed Tiu was in the PDEA watchlist.