Cop fails to conceal self with face mask, wounded in shootout with drug dealer

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY –– A police officer here failed to conceal his true identity through a face mask during a recent buy-bust operation, leading to a shootout that had him wounded, a police incident report showed.

Cpl. Landemar Jaraula of the Agora police station acted as poseur-buyer in a drug transaction with alleged drug peddler Junryl “Jojo” Cabañez, who is renting a room in a residence in Barangay Canitoan, where he also sells crystal meth or shabu.

Jaraula, wearing a face mask, was made to enter the room where the sale was to take place. He was then asked to remove the face mask he was wearing.

According to Capt. Julius Saluta, chief of the Agora police station, a certain Grace Laroche, who was with Cabañez in the room, was able to identify Jaraula as a police officer.

This led Cabañez to pull out a .45-caliber handgun and shot at Jaraula, who was hit on the back.

But Jaraula pulled out a service pistol in time to shoot Cabañez on the left chest, leading to his death.

Saluta said Cabañez and Laroche have been on the police watch list and were under surveillance for close to a month with several arrested drug pushers pointing to the duo as their supplier.

Seized from the suspects were several sachets of suspected shabu, assorted paraphernalia, and the gun used by Cabañez to shoot Jaraula.

LZB