Cops kill drug suspect, arrest 2 others in Tagum raid

DAVAO CITY — An alleged top drug suspect was killed and two others were arrested in a police operation in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, police said on Thursday.

Alvin Deocampo, 5th in the drug watch list of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Davao del Norte, was shot after allegedly resisting arrest during a buy-bust operation in Bermudez Plains Subdivision, Barangay Apokon around 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to Senior Supt. Alan Manibog, Davao del Norte police
chief.

Manibog said lawmen, through a poseur buyer, were able to obtain from the 50-year-old Deocampo a sachet of suspected shabu (crystal meth) in exchange for P1,000.

But as he was about to be arrested, the suspect tried to escape and fired at the police, prompting the lawmen to fire back.

Deocampo was rushed to the Davao Regional Medical Center for treatment but physicians pronounced him dead on arrival.

Doctors recovered from the slain suspect’s body a sachet of shabu, Manibog said.

Also arrested during the police operation were Joel Pandoro, a laborer and Felyflor Tan, a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver from Maco town, Compostela Valley.

Confiscated from Pandoro were two sachets of shabu inside a black canister, while a big sachet of the illegal drug was recovered from Tan.

Police also recovered from the slain suspect a caliber .38 revolver with five bullets, one bullet casing and drug paraphernalia.

Manibog said drug charges were now being filed against the arrested suspects./lb