By Glazyl Masculino and Tara Yap
BACOLOD CITY – A level-three high-value target (HVT) in Western Visayas was killed, while P2.7 million worth of illegal drugs were recovered in a buy-bust operation in Barangay 6, Victorias City, Negros Occidental Sunday morning.
(Art Tayhopon / MANILA BULLETIN)
Police identified the fatality as Leoner Jalandoon, a resident of Barangay Banago, Bacolod City. He was tagged as the alleged leader of the Jalandoon drug group in Negros Occidental.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Corpuz, city police chief, said Jalandoon was allegedly holding a grenade when he fired at the police.
“He was armed with a .38-caliber, and very dangerous, that's why we retaliated,” Corpuz said, adding it was a legitimate operation.
The operation was conducted by the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, City Intelligence Unit of the Bacolod City Police Office, Victorias City Police Station, and Naval Intelligence and Security Force (NISF).
Police recovered in the raid 101 sachets of suspected shabu worth P2.727 million, a weighing scale, the P27,000-marked money, and drug paraphernalia.
Authorities also recovered from Jalandoon a sachet of suspected shabu.
Jalandoon, who was earlier mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in his visit to the province, was an alleged drug supplier in Negros and in the entire region, Corpuz said.
Earlier, authorities said that Jalandoon was allegedly the source of a couple who previously yielded R9.6 million worth of illegal drugs in Bacolod City on April 5. They are alleged members of Jalandoon drug group.
Also arrested Monday was Janine Cruz, 18, of Barangay 16, Bacolod City, who is allegedly Jalandoon’s partner.
Corpuz said Cruz was also involved in the illegal drug trade, and usually had transactions with small-time drug pushers.
She is now under the custody of Victorias City Police Station, pending the filing of charges against her.