Suspect shot dead during drug buy-bust in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY — A police officer shot dead a village councilman, who was a suspected drug dealer, Wednesday night during a buy-bust operation in Cabatuan town in Iloilo province.

Jonathan Baron, 56, died from two gunshot wounds in the chest. The officer who shot him was the one who posed as a buyer at the local official’s house in Barangay Jelicuon Montinola in Cabatuan, according to Senior Insp. Sullen Domingo, chief of the Cabatuan Municipal Police Office.

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

Police chief Domingo alleged that Baron fired a .22-caliber revolver three times at the police officer but missed twice. His third shot misfired.

According to Domingo, Baron previously surrendered during the Operation Tokhang but remained on the drug watchlist of Cabatuan and Calinog towns.

Police arrested Baron’s 21-year-old daughter Janna for allegedly acting as an accomplice in the drug transaction.

Anti-drug police operations have resulted in six dead suspected drug pushers in 10 days in Iloilo and Antique provinces.

At least 63 drug suspects have been killed in police operations in Western Visayas since July 2016 in the so-called war on illegal drugs ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

More than 10 others have been killed by unidentified assailants in the region. /atm