BACOLOD CITY - About 2,025 grams of suspected shabu worth P13.7 million was seized from an alleged drug suspect, who was killed in a shootout with the police in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Magatas, Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Sunday.
Police identified the fatality as Jomarie Yongco, 26, of Barangay Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
A report from the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo), showed that Yongco reportedly was trying to deal 25 grams of suspected shabu to a police agent during the drug bust.
Yongco was subjected to a surveillance after police received information that he was involved in the illegal drug trade, and that he will be transporting the contraband soon in the province.
This prompted the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) to conduct the operation, in coordination with the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU)-7, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Sibulan Municipal Police Station.
However, the suspect sensed the movement of the police during the operation, prompting him to pull his gun and allegedly open fire at the police operatives, as he tried to escape, according to a police report.
The operatives retaliated, hitting the suspect in different parts of his body which caused his immediate death.
During the search, authorities recovered from the suspect a .45 caliber pistol and his stash of shabu.
Col. Arnel Banzon, officer-in-charge of Norppo, in a statement, expressed his gratitude to the concerned individual who tipped off the police about Yongco’s illegal dealings.