Western Visayas drug lord, kin slain in Bacolod City

BACOLOD CITY – The leader of a notorious drug group and a relative were killed while four others, including a policeman were wounded in an operation in Barangay Banago, Bacolod City on Thursday afternoon.

The fatalities were identified as Ramy Poja, 36, head of the Poja Drug Group, who had pending arrest warrants for gun and drug charges; and a relative, Roberto Lim, alias “Bobby”, also classified as a High Value Target.

Poja had eluded arrest in 2015, 2016, and in February by tossing grenades at pursuing policemen.

He was ranked number one most wanted person of Police Station 3, and was tagged by the police as one of the drug lords in Bacolod and in Western Visayas.

Poja and Lim were killed during a shootout with a team composed of the City Drug Enforcement Unit, Station 3 and the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Sitio Sibucao, Purok Rosas Pandan in Barangay Banago, said Senior Supt. Francisco Ebreo, acting Bacolod city chief.

The police also confiscated several high-powered guns and suspected shabu worth P840,000, the police said.

The operation stemmed from an encounter between Poja’s group and personnel of Police Station 3 at 12:35 a.m., who were following up an anti-illegal gambling operation in the area.

Senior Insp. Victor Paulino, team leader of the group from Station 3, was wounded in his left thigh.

The area was cordoned off after the police received reports that Poja was still there and other members of the drug group were wounded.

“When the operating team established the exact location, we tried to negotiate for the surrender of the suspects, but instead of surrendering they shot it out with the operating team,” Ebreo said.

Poja and Lim were later killed during the operation that lasted for 15 hours.

Wounded was gang member Rusty Poja Constantino.

Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital personnel informed Station 3 that Jhodan Cordova, 20, and his mother Erlinda Cordova, were also hit in the crossfire and were brought to their facility for treatment.

Poja, who was seen as a Robin Hood in his neighborhood, was described by residents of the areas as “generous” and “kind.”

A woman, in her 50s asked the police where they would go for help now that Poja was dead.