DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Police authorities here killed two suspected drug pushers and arrested 22 suspects in various crimes during a massive operation on Thursday morning.
Senior Supt. Vicente Danao, the city police chief, said Jonas Juban and John Michael Pajegal were shot dead after they traded shots with law enforcers during the simultaneous raids participated in by all police units here.
“The two suspects were killed when they fought it out with the police,” he said.
Danao said 22 other suspects had been taken into custody after they yielded drugs or firearms during the raids.
At least 300 grams of shabu, 1.7 kilograms of marijuana, seven firearms of various caliber, ammunition, and two hand grenades were also seized.
Danao said Thursday’s police operation was part of the police’s One Time Big Time Lambat Sibat operation. It was the second operation of a similar magnitude conducted against criminality here.
In July, seven suspects were also killed while 29 others were arrested when police authorities swooped on suspected drug dens and houses of alleged drug pushers here.
In October, another suspected criminal was also killed when he allegedly traded shots with policemen instead of yielding to “verification.”
Danao said the police would continue its massive sweep of criminal elements in the coming days.
He said the directive for law enforcers was to peacefully arrest suspects.
Danao said the police would not hesitate to shoot those who would violently resist arrest. SFM