Cop tagged in 2011 drug case slain while leaving court

CEBU CITY—A policeman facing charges for alleged drug use was gunned down as he left a courtroom in Danao City on Monday.

SPO2 Roberto Canencia, 52, resident of Danao City, suffered at least four gunshot wounds, according to SPO2 Ildefonso Prosia, Danao City police desk officer.

Canencia, though a sharpshooter, was unable to fire back.

Supt. Ricky Delelis, Danao City police chief, said the killing of Canencia bore all the signs of a plot that was well-planned and executed.

Delelis said police are investigating the possibility that the killing was related to a drug bust last year that led to the arrest of Canencia and his transfer to the Cebu provincial police office from the Minglanilla police station.

Canencia was leaving the Danao City Regional Trial Court on Monday after a hearing on the case filed against him in connection with last year’s drug bust. He was caught using drugs in a suspected drug trader’s house in Danao in January 2011.

The victim was on board his motorcycle when another motorcycle carrying two men blocked him. A third motorcycle arrived carrying a man who repeatedly shot Canencia, police said.

SPO2 Prosia said Canencia was taken to the Danao City provincial hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Canencia faced a string of administrative complaints and charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of a gun ban that was imposed in Cebu City during the Sinulog festival.

Canencia was arrested in January 2011 during a raid by members of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group in Central Visayas on the house of Marites Dalumpines.

Also arrested during that raid was a certain Jeshwani Tabla. Police also seized a .38 cal. revolver, a pistol and drug paraphernalia during the raid.

Canencia had said he had been framed up and the pieces of evidence used against him were planted.