LEGAZPI CITY (PNA) – The most wanted person in Region 4-A (Calabarzon) was killed on Saturday night in a shootout with policemen in Daraga town.
Capt. Dexter Panganiban, Albay police spokesperson, in an interview on Sunday, said Rodel Llorera, 42, tagged as Southern Tagalog's most wanted person, resisted arrest by joint police and military operatives who were about to serve him a warrant of arrest at a residence in San Ramon, a remote village of the town at around 9 p.m.
Arrested at the raid were Felimon Madridano, 33, a construction worker, and Honeybee Boneo, 33.
A police report said as Llorera was being served the arrest warrant, the suspect drew his .45-caliber handgun, and reached for a hand grenade, which led to a shootout. The suspect sustained multiple gunshot wounds that led to his instantaneous death.
Recovered from the crime scene were a .45- caliber pistol with seven bullets, a grenade, and personal belongings.
Madridano was arrested for illegal possession of a .38-caliber pistol, while Boneo was arrested for harboring a criminal, knowing that the suspect was a wanted person.
Meanwhile, at least P286-million worth of illegal drugs seized in separate drug stings in Bicol were burned on Friday at an incinerator facility in Camalig, Albay province, a report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the region said on Sunday.
Cotton Talento, PDEA-Bicol spokesperson, said 42 kilos of shabu and nine kilos of marijuana were burned through thermal destruction at the Goodfound Cement Corporation Kiln incinerator facility in Barangay Palanog.
Talento, in an interview, said the burning of the seized illegal drugs was in compliance with the recent agency directive to destroy all the seized illegal drugs that had been approved by the court for destruction either because the cases had been decided or the judge had allowed it, or the substance was recovered or surrendered with no pending cases and no persons arrested.
The destruction of dangerous drugs is pursuant to the mandate of Section 21 of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The ceremony was graced by Timoteo A. Panga Jr, executive judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 60 in Iriga City, Camarines Sur. He encouraged all drug courts in the Bicol region to fast-track cases and issue orders for immediate destruction of illegal drugs once cases are terminated.