‘Ninja’ PDEA agent killed in drug bust

ILOILO CITY — An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-6 (PDEA-6)—allegedly involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs—was gunned down in a police anti-narcotics operations in Sibalom town of Antique Tuesday afternoon.

Inspector Clark Philip Dinco, Sibalom Police chief, identified the suspect as Macario Grasparil, in his 40s, and resident of District 1, Sibalom, Antique.

Police records showed that Grasparil was on their watchlist as a high-value target (HVT). "We have been receiving reports that he's into the illegal drug trade," Dinco said. Worse, "he's allegedly selling recycled illegal drugs, possibly taken from seized evidences,” he said.

Dinco said Grasparil also sourced his supply from the Prevendido Drug Group, which is now headed by Richard Prevendido, Western Visayas, top drug personality who is now being hunted down by authorities.

The slain suspect allegedly agreed to transact with an undercover police agent, who was able to buy from the former P500 worth of shabu. As the policeman's back-up came in to arrest him, Grasparil allegedly pulled a handgun – a .357-caliber revolver.

Dinco said policemen had no more recourse but to neutralize Grasparil, who in turn was hit with two gunshots and died on the scene. Recovered from his possession was a sling bag with a Glock 17 pistol with four magazines and an eyeglasses pouch containing 11 sachets of shabu.

Levi Ortiz, PDEA-6 assistant regional director, confirmed that Grasparil was an active PDEA agent, but admitted that his office received reports of the latter's alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Ortiz however claimed that they conducted an investigation against their slain agent but no evidence came out to pin him down. "Because he knew he was on the watchlist, he sought an audience with Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles—the then regional director of PRO-6— because he wanted to clear his name," Ortiz said.

PDEA-6 however did not stop there. "I gave him (Grasparil) a task to go after Prevendido," said Ortiz, adding that the PDEA agent was even instrumental in the arrest of Bonie Prevendido Gregori last year, and helped in the case build-up against slain drug lord Melvin Odicta.

When asked about Grasparil's death, Ortiz said he could not comment because he was not around during the actual operation, "although there are questions that puzzle me.

First, alam nya naman na nasa watchlist sya. Who was in his right mind na mag-engage pa?," he said.

Ortiz said he would ask the National Bureau of Investigation, through Grasparil's family, for the conduct of an impartial investigation surrounding his death.

Grasparil was the 30th fatality in Western Visayas since the government started its aggressive anti-drug campaign in July 2016. He was the seventh, among five others from Antique and two in Iloilo, who were killed since the launch of the PNP's Project Double Barrel Reloaded in Western Visayas.