A sachet of crystal meth, locally known as shabu, and other drug paraphernalia were found in a vehicle of an alleged agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, after he figured in a shootout in Parañaque on Saturday night.
Jhay-r Repana, 31, was driving his black Mitsubishi Lancer with plate number XHU 835 on the eastbound side of Dr. A. Santos Avenue in Sucat around 8:30 p.m.
Upon reaching Gate 2 of Loyola Memorial Park, another sedan without a license plate shot Repana’s vehicle, with both riders of the vehicles engaging in a shootout, according to witness Edgardo Mansurate, a volunteer tanod of Barangay BF Homes.
The two vehicles then sped off towards the direction of Muntinlupa.
Senior Insp. Jerry Sunga, chief of Parañaque police investigation unit, said police were able to locate Rapana and the Lancer in a followup operation in a hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna province, after he sustained a gunshot wound in his left leg.
His companion, Rosemimi Facal, 30, was unharmed but said their vehicle was damaged after the shootout.
Scene of the crime operatives of Region IV-A recovered a .38-cal. revolver without a license and loaded with a bullet, as well as sachet of shabu, lighter and tooter, in Rapana’s vehicle.
Sunga said Rapana identified himself as a PDEA agent, showing his identification card to police. They have yet to verify if Rapana was affiliated with PDEA.
He added that Rapana’s action of going all the way to Laguna to get himself treated was “suspicious.”
Rapana and Facal would be facing charges of alarm and scandal in Parañaque, while charges of illegal drugs possesion and illegal possesion of firearms and ammunition will be filed in the Sta. Rosa prosecutor’s office.
PDEA has warned the public of men posing as the agency’s personnel to extort money in exchange of freedom from false drug charges.
Last week, Taguig police received reports of fake PDEA agents who arrested a man in Barangay Ususan in Taguig on Feb. 4.
On Feb. 18, seven men wearing PDEA uniform arrived in Ususan in two black vans, a Mitsubishi Montero and a Toyota Hilux.
When police arrived, one of them identified himself as a PDEA agent but sped away when asked for IDs. The chase ended with police finding the Hilux already abandoned. Inside the vehicle, they recovered guns, stash of shabu and fake bills amounting to almost P300,000. /je
READ: Vehicle abandoned by fake PDEA agents yields guns, cash, drugs