ORMOC CITY—A known henchman of a criminal group and his cohort were killed in a buy-bust operation that escalated into a shootout on January 25, in Barangay Bagacay, Calbayog City.
Police identified the slain suspects as alias “Mar,” a close associate of alias “Edar,” a member of the Wahingon Criminal Gang who was neutralized in a police operation on January 11, 2025, and alias “Dren,” single.
Both were classified as high-value individuals (HVIs) in the Philippine National Police’s drug watchlist and were residents of Barangay Hamorawon, Calbayog City.
The operation was conducted by a joint team from the Samar Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), Calbayog City Drug Enforcement Team, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Samar.
According to police, the buy-bust operation took a violent turn when the suspects, realizing they were transacting with an undercover operative, opened fire on the authorities.
Law enforcers retaliated, resulting in both suspects sustaining gunshot wounds. They were immediately rushed to Calbayog District Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival at 9:15 am by the attending physician.
Recovered from the suspects were eight plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu; and several boodle money bills.
The actual weight of the seized drugs is yet to be determined by the Regional Forensic Unit 8 (RFU-8).
(ROBERT DEJON)