Suspected pusher shot dead
A 28-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside his house yesterday dawn in Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City.
Chief Inspector Rodgene Fudotan of Basak Police Station 3 said that Lemuel Tariman Guardiana, a resident of Sitio Tabok 1 of the same barangay, was about to sleep when the two assailants wearing bonnets entered the victim's house around 4:30 a.m.
Guardiana’s live-in partner Lowie Marie Sapid told policemen that one of the men pulled out a gun and shot him several times before both of them fled.
The City Tactical Operations Center immediately called the police for assistance. Personnel from the City Disaster Risk-Reduction Management Office also arrived in the area to check on the victim’s status but he was already dead.
Recovered from the crime scene was a magazine loaded with eight live rounds reportedly owned by the victim, a fired cartridge case, and a slug.
Investigation allegedly revealed that the victim was a drug pusher and that he was known to not remit proceeds to his superiors. Fudotan said they are now conducting a followup investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, another alleged drug peddler was killed during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Opao, Mandaue City, around 7:20 p.m. Thursday.
Police Officer 2 Jenus Capangpangan of MCPO Station 5 said Eduardo Baclohan, who was the subject of the station's antidrug operation, realized he was dealing with policemen and pulled out his gun to shoot. Policemen said they had no choice but to fight back.
Eight sachets of suspected shabu weighing 0.44 grams and estimated at P5,000 were seized from the suspect. Also recovered was the suspect’s Frontier revolver loaded with four live rounds.
The suspect, who was in the city's drug watchlist in 2016, was rushed to the Mandaue District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.