DAVAO CITY – Three suspected drug pushers were gunned down in buy-bust operations here a few hours after Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte declared a war against drugs in this city on Friday, March 22.
Police identified the fatalities as Larry, Jehurry Dresser, and Timoy.
Larry fired at arresting officers at Shrine Hills Matina at around 10:56 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. Recovered from him were one sachet of suspected shabu worth P43,860 and one unregistered caliber .38 revolver.
Dresser shot lawmen who returned fire and killed the suspect in Matina Aplaya at around 10:55 p.m. on Saturday.
Timoy was killed by lawmen in Barangay Mintal at past 4 a.m. on Sunday, March 24. Recovered from him were a large sachet of suspected shabu worth P27,000, one caliber .38 revolver, and P19,000 buy-bust money.
Duterte vowed to eliminate those who refuse to stop using and selling illegal drugs should they continue to stay in Davao City. He said he had gathered enough information on the proliferation of illegal drugs in densely populated areas.
“I hereby declare a campaign that the city is at war against drugs,” Duterte said as he welcomed new Davao City Police Office (DCPO) chief Police Col. Richard P. Bad-ang during the turnover of command ceremony in Camp Capt. Domingo E. Leonor here.
Duterte said he has been coordinating with barangay officials and cited several concerns in their areas of responsibility, including illegal drugs, that the city government must address. He, however, did not reveal which area had prevalent drug use.
“Some people have returned to using illegal drugs. It is not because we have not done our jobs, but we cannot simply close the borders,” he said, adding that despite these being expensive, according to the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA), pushers still find a way.
Bad-ang, who worked during the tenures of former Mayor and President Rodrigo R. Duterte and daughter Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte, vowed to continue the Duterte legacy and address such concerns on illegal drugs and other criminality.
“We will make sure that our city police uphold all the procedures and implement them,” Bad-ang said, adding that they would reinforce security by mounting additional barangay checkpoints and intensifying intelligence units. He vowed a non-violent campaign against illegal drugs.