Drug war death toll rising among Iloilo village execs

ILOILO CITY—Another village official was shot dead in a police operation against drugs in Iloilo and Antique, bringing the death toll in the war on drugs in the two provinces in just 10 days to seven, or nearly one a day.

The latest fatality was Rex Lagura, village chief of Aldeguer in Sara town, Iloilo province, who was killed on Wednesday evening in what police said was a buy-bust operation gone deadly.

Lagura died from gunshot wounds in the head and chest at home after he allegedly fired at, but missed, a policeman who went undercover to buy drugs from Lagura.

Wife arrested

The village chief was brought to Sara District Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival, according to Senior Insp. Asencion Ortizo, Sara town police chief.

Lagura, 55, was serving his third and last term.

Police arrested Lagura’s wife, Anita, who was allegedly present during the purported drug transaction.

Ortizo claimed that operatives recovered 22 sachets of suspected “shabu,” or crystal meth, a .38-caliber revolver and P2,900 in cash from Lagura’s home.

Lagura was the seventh drug suspect killed in police operations in Iloilo and Antique provinces in 10 days.

Fired thrice

Around noon on Wednesday, police gunned down Jonathan Baron, a village councilor of Jelicuon Montinola at Cabatuan town also in Iloilo province.

Baron, 56, died from two gunshot wounds in the chest after he was shot by a policeman who also went undercover to buy drugs at the village councilor’s home, according to Senior Insp. Sullen Domingo, Cabatuan police chief.

Doctors at Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital pronounced Baron dead on arrival.

Domingo said Baron fired a .22-caliber revolver thrice at the undercover policeman but missed twice and misfired on the third try.

Domingo said Baron had surrendered during an “Oplan Tokhang” operation but remained on the drug watch list of Cabatuan and Calinog towns.