CEBU CITY—A former policeman and his alleged cohort in illegal drugs and gun-for-hire activities were killed in a shootout with police early Thursday morning in Minglanilla town, southern Cebu.
Police identified the fatalities as Basilio Nilo Quirante and Faustino Saromines Torres.
Quirante was tagged by police as the leader of the Quirante Drug and Gun-for-Hire Group.
Police Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, chief of the Police Regional Office Central Visayas, said the police tried to serve arrest warrants to Quirante and Torres in Minglanilla Homes Barangay Tungkil but the two men allegedly fought back triggering a shootout.
Ferro said Quirante, who was dismissed from the police service sometime in 2010 for going absent without official leave, was included in the list of President Rodrigo Duterte as a level one drug pusher.
“Level one means he was not that big-time yet but he was also into gun-for-hire activities and may have been used by unscrupulous politicians to do illegal activities,” said Ferro.
The operation was conducted by operatives of the Regional Intelligence 7, Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 7, Dumanjug Police Station, Minglanilla Police Station, and Cebu Provincial Police Office.
Quirante was the number one most wanted person in Dumanjug town, southern Cebu. He had three standing arrest warrants for attempted murder and violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Torres also had three standing arrest warrants for murder and two counts of frustrated murder.
“Quirante was very elusive. He was from Dumanjug town but may have been hiding in Minglanilla. As a former policeman, he was familiar with police operations and knew how to evade checkpoints,” said Ferro.
Ferro said an investigation will be conducted to identify the owner of the house where the shootout took place.
Seized from the house where the two men were killed were a KG9 submachine gun, a.45 caliber pistol, and 35 sachets of suspected shabu.
Ferro said the death of Quirante may affect the distribution of illegal drugs in Cebu province.
He said this should serve as a warning to wanted persons who are still on the loose. “We will not stop until all of you are arrested,” said Ferro.