10 cops in bungled drug bust axed

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—A police station chief, his deputy and eight other policemen in Ormoc City, Leyte province, have been relieved from their posts pending investigation on the bungled buy-bust operation that resulted in the death of the operation’s target, a suspected drug dealer, and two civilians, and injuries to six others.

Senior Supt. Jose Macanas, Ormoc police director, said Chief Insp. Edgar Encina, police station 3 chief, and his men were relieved to avoid suspicion of a whitewash in the investigation.

“It’s part of the process,” Macanas told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon.

Also relieved were police station 3 deputy chief Insp. Harris Rebato, SPO1 Renato Singcol, SPO1 Benedicto Cabilso, SPO3 Roel Juanario, PO2 Jay Quilantang, PO2 Venerando Aguipo, PO3 Reygan Begello, PO1 Alex Carcagente and PO1 Joseph Pilapil.

Encina, his men and several agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted a buy-bust operation on Sim Serrano, an alleged drug dealer in Ormoc, around 4 p.m. on April 8. Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas