By Anthony Giron
CAMP GEN, PANTALEON GARCIA, IMUS, Cavite – A Cavite-based drug suspect was killed on Tuesday by a joint police team in an encounter on Almeda Highway in Barangay Concepcion Grande, Naga City, Camarines Sur.
The Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) reported the fatal anti-drug operation incident in the Bicol Region on Wednesday, February 26, to the media.
PPO Director Colonel Marlon Roque Santos identified the suspect as Dirimpasan Pangandag Unte, 51, a resident of Barangay Datu Ismael, Dasmariñas City.
Santos, citing a report, said that Unte was killed after he resisted arrest, and traded shots with the team in a drug buy-bust operation in the area at 12:30 noon Tuesday.
Unte was listed No. 1 in the Region IV-A Recalibrated Priority Database on Illegal Drugs, according to Santos.
The database is an organized profile or collection of data involving drug suspects operating in Region IV-A or the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) area. .
Unte had encountered in Naga City the team comprised of officers from Cavite PPO, Dasmariñas police Police Regional Office (PRO)- IV-A team and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Camarines Sur.
Santos reported that Unte fired his gun several times at the team after sensing that the buyer he had dealt with on "shabu" (methamphetamine hydrochloride or crytal meth) worth P28,000 was a police officer.
The shooting prompted the team to fire back, with the bullets hitting the body of Unte.
The suspect was declared dead on arrival at the Naga City Hospital by attending Dr. Joseph Sanchez.
It was the first time that the Cavite police-led anti-drug operation had transpired in another region since Santos was designated as PPO chief three months ago.