Cop linked to drugs killed in Danao City

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CEBU CITY, Philippines — The policeman who was caught inside the house of an alleged “drug queen” in 2011, was killed on his way home from a court hearing in Danao City at around 11:35 a.m. Monday.

Senior Police Officer 2 Roberto Canencia, 52, a resident of Sabang, Danao City, sustained four gun shot wounds – two shots to the back and another two to his chest area, the Danao City desk officer, SPO2 Ildefonso Prosia, said on Monday.

Prosia said Canencia, a sharpshooter who regularly acted as a range officer during the police firing exercises at the Cebu Police Provincial Office, failed to use his .9mm gun to fire back at the hitmen who used .45 caliber firearms.

Initial investigation showed that Canencia, who was off duty, had just left the Danao City Regional Trial Court (RTC), where he had attended a hearing, on board his black Rusi motorcycle. Canencia’s case was in relation to his apprehension inside a drug den in 2011.

While driving along the Pio del Pilar St., in Barangay (village) Poblacion, some 50 meters from the RTC, two persons riding a motorcycle blocked his way, forcing him to stop.

Prosia said another motorcycle, which had been tailing him, stopped at his back. It was not clear how many persons were riding the second motorcycle.

Prosia said it appeared that two men, one riding the motorcycle that blocked Canencia and another from the motorcycle at his back, had fired shots at the victim.

Prosia said Canencia was brought to the Danao City Provincial Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Prosia said the Danao City police chief, Supt. Ricky Delelis, led the team of policemen in a hot pursuit operation against the killers.

Canencia had been reassigned to the information desk of the Cebu Provincial Police Office after he was relieved of his post at the Minglanilla Police Station in 2011.

Canencia was allegedly caught sniffing shabu inside the house of a woman tagged as a top drug pusher in Danao City during a raid in January 2011. A team from the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (Raidsotg) 7 led by PO3 Ricardo Baclayon Jr., conducted the operation in Barangay Tuburan, Danao City, which was meant to arrest suspected drug pushers such as Marites Dalumpines, 38, and Jeshwani Tabla, 37.

Canencia was facing administrative complaints as well as charges for illegal possession of firearms and violation of the special gun ban imposed in Cebu during the Sinulog Festival

Police recovered a .38 revolver loaded with six bullets, a fake KG9 automatic pistol and drug paraphernalia from Canencia. But Canencia said he was just framed and that the pieces of evidence were all planted.