Leyte cop involved in antidrug operations shot dead

TACLOBAN CITY—A police officer involved in the anti-illegal drugs operation under the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas was gunned down while heading home on Friday morning.

Chief Insp. Jesus Son, 45, who was once the head of the regional drug special task force, suffered a lone gunshot wound in the head.

Son was driving his Isuzu Crosswind vehicle along Barangay Pilit, Santa Fe town in Leyte at 9:55 a.m.

He was heading home to Pastrana town, about 10 km away from Santa Fe, when a vehicle drove alongside his sports utility vehicle.

An unidentified man armed with an M-16 rifle shot the victim in the head, killing him on the spot, said Insp. Shenna Layog, Santa Fe police chief.

Son was the head of the Regional Personnel Holding Area Unit of the PRO-8.

Policemen on floating status were usually assigned in his office.

Layog said they had yet to determine the motive for killing Son.

“But we are looking on the possibility that it could be due to his work in anti-illegal drugs,” Layog said in a phone interview./rga