Lanao del Sur village exec dies in drug bust shootout

COTABATO CITY –– A village councilman in Wao, Lanao del Sur was killed in a drug buy-bust operation by anti-narcotics agents Friday, Sept. 20.

Director Juvenal Azurin of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Bangsamoro region, identified the slain suspect as Larry Masid, councilman of Barangay Muslim Village.

Azurin told reporters here that Masid pulled out a cal. 45 pistol from his waist when he sensed that the person he was selling illegal drugs to is an undercover agent

A shootout between him and the law enforcers ensued.

The supposed transaction took place around 4:30 a.m. Friday in front of Masid’s house.

Azurin said that Masid has long been under the agency’s surveillance for his illegal drug activities until Friday’s chance for an entrapment operation.

Seized from Masid’s home were five grams of shabu with an estimated cost of P100,000; a caliber .45 pistol and a .30-caliber M1 Carbine rifle.

The operation was backed by the town’s police and soldiers from the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion.

Based on PDEA records, Masid, according to Azurin, was arrested two years ago for a drug-related case which was dismissed on technicalities./lzb