Cop on Duterte narco list killed in antidrug operation

KORONADAL CITY – A police intelligence officer on President Duterte’s narco list was killed here Saturday night when he allegedly traded shots with fellow officers during an antidrug operation.

Superintendent Benjiel Kirby Bajo, Koronadal City police chief, identified the slain policeman as PO1 Romel “Banjo” Barcellano, of New Esperanza, Koranadal City, who was assigned with the South Cotabato intelligence unit.

The operating units composed of PNP Counter Intelligence Task Force and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-12) barged into the room being rented by Barcellano at the Taj Mahal Economy Suite in Barangay Zone 2 after a drug buy bust at 8 p.m.

Barcellano reportedly pulled his gun and opened fire at the lawmen.

Recovered from him were a cal. 45 pistol, ammunition, mobile phones, two sachets of shabu and drug buy bust money.

Bajo said Barcellano was considered as a “level 2 drug personality.”

Before his assignment to the South Cotabato provincial intelligence unit, Barcellano was an intelligence officer of the Koronadal City police office.

Bajo said Barcellano belonged to a big drug syndicate in the province. /cbb