3 on Duterte drug list slain in shootout with lawmen

STO. NINO, South Cotabato — Three drug suspects were killed while another was arrested in law enforcement operations here on Saturday dawn, police said Sunday.

Another drug suspect, who was the subject of warrants for violation of anti-drug law, escaped. Meanwhile, a private school administrator, allegedly a drug user, was arrested in separate raids in North Cotabato.

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police director for Region 12, identified the slain drug suspects as Dennis Mark Cabantud, his brother June Jay and Ronnie Magon, all of Purok Malipayon, Barangay Ambalgan, Sto. Nino, South Cotabato.

The Cabantud brothers, Mohammad Moto and Ramil Lastimoso were the subjects of search warrants implemented jointly by the Regional Prohibited Drug Enforcement Unit, the local police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-12).

Rasco said the lawmen introduced themselves to the Cabantud brothers at 2:40 a.m. and declared that they were serving warrants.

“But the duo pulled hand guns and shot at our troops, triggering a shootout,” Rasco said.

The Cabantud brothers were wounded and were rushed to a hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival.

They were sons of village chair Bai Cabantud of Barangay Ambalgan.

Seized from the house of the Cabantuds were one cal. 45 pistol and one 9mm pistol with ammunition, nine sachets of suspected shabu and paraphernalia.

Rasco said the Cabantud brothers were on President Duterte’s drug list. They were also listed as high-value targets of PDEA-12.

In a separate operation, also in Barangay Ambalgan, police and PDEA agents were to serve search warrants against Mohammad Moto who quickly fled under cover of darkness while his companion traded shots with lawmen.

Wounded was Ronnie Magon, who was described by police as a “down line” pusher of Moto and included in Duterte drug watch list.  Recovered from him were a home-made pistol and several sachets of shabu.

Rasco said another subject of search warrants was Ramil Lastimoso who peacefully surrendered to the police.

In Midsayap, North Cotabato, police arrested the school administrator of Great and Mighty Learning Center of Midsayap, Inc. during the implementation of search warrants for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act).

Rasco identified the suspect as Julius Caesar Dadiro Duque who was arrested at 7 p.m. Saturday inside the school compound in Barangay Poblacion 4. Recovered from Duque were four sachets of shabu and 48 empty sachets with shabu residue.

Duque is now detained at the Midsayap PNP lock-up cell. /cbb