SHOOTOUT (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ ARNOLD ALMACEN)
CALBAYOG CITY – A former policeman accused of providing protection to suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa was killed in an alleged shootout on Friday in Calbayog City, Samar.
PO2 Renato Mekitpekit, 37, allegedly put up a fight when a team of policemen came to serve a search warrant about 5 p.m. in Barangay Dagum, Calbayog.
Recovered from the former policeman were a .45-pistol with magazine, four slugs, one 9mm pistol, 13 small packs of suspected shabu and three large packs of suspected shabu.
According to Chief Insp. Angelo Pueblos, head of the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Samar police, a team of policemen went to the house of Mekitpekit in Barangay Dagum to serve the search warrant on suspicion that he was keeping a stash of illegal drugs.
The warrant was issued by Executive Judge Agerico Avila of the Regional Trial Court Branch 29 of Catbalogan City in Samar.
Pueblos said Mekitpekit shot at the policemen who were forced to return fire.
Mekitpekit was among the policemen who were facing administrative complaints at the Regional Internal Affairs Service after Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief, accused them of providing protection to Espinosa, said to be the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas.
The policeman, who used to be with the Ormoc City Police Office, served as a bodyguard of Espinosa who was recently arrested in Abu Dhabi and is expected to be extradited soon.
His death came a day before Espinosa’s father, Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was shot dead by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas while detained at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay City, Leyte.
Like Mekitpekit, the elder Espinosa allegedly fought it out with the raiding team inside his cell at 3 a.m. on Saturday.
Aside from Espinosa, Mekitpekit was said to be the bagman of big-time drug dealer Monasimban Limbona who was killed by Espenido during a raid in 2015.
Mekitpekit went on absence without leave in 2015 after he was charged at the People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) for hitting a driver of a garbage truck.
He never showed up in the hearing and was ordered to be discharged from the service. SFM