Within a 24-hour timeframe, five individuals suspected of involvement in drug-related activities met fatal ends in separate incidents, occurring just two days following Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s declaration of a vigorous anti-drug campaign.
Addressing drug dealers and users during the turnover of command ceremony for the new city police director Col. Richard Bad-ang, Duterte issued a stark warning, stating, “If you do not leave, I will kill you.” Speaking in the local vernacular, he echoed the sentiments of his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, emphasizing the destructive impact of drug trafficking on families and communities.
Highlighting complaints from barangay captains regarding rampant drug activities, particularly in densely populated areas, Duterte urged local leaders to collaborate with authorities in combating illegal drugs. In each of the five incidents resulting in fatalities, law enforcement reported that the suspects engaged in confrontations with the police.
The first encounter occurred at dawn on Saturday, March 23, as anti-drug officers from Buhangin Police Station conducted a buy-bust operation targeting the city’s top drug suspect, Sherwin Familiar, who was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire while armed with a.38 revolver. Subsequently, two other suspects, known only by their aliases Larry and Ngay, were also killed in shootouts with law enforcement.
The following Sunday dawn, March 24, Tugbok Police engaged in a confrontation with another suspect, known as alias “Timoy,” resulting in his death. Like Familiar, Timoy was armed with a.38 revolver.
Later that day, at 4:05 p.m., intelligence personnel from the Sta. Ana Police Station and the City Drug Enforcement Unit conducted a joint buy-bust operation that resulted in the killing of Emmanuel Avila, alias “Ime,” a purported “high-value” target. Authorities seized 53.79 grams of suspected shabu valued at P365,772 and a.38 revolver from the scene.
Newly appointed DCPO chief Bad-ang affirmed that their anti-drug campaign would prioritize targeting major drug suppliers while operating within legal parameters. He pledged to continue collaborating with barangay leaders and intelligence personnel to apprehend individuals involved in illegal drug activities, emphasizing the importance of thorough investigations to trace the origins of illicit drugs.
