A drug personality was killed after resisting arrest during a joint buy-bust operation in Brgy. Cannery Site, Polomolok, South Cotabato on Tuesday morning, December 29, 2020, the WestMinCom Commander said.
“During the said operation, a police officer acted as a poseur buyer who was able to buy one heat-sealed transparent plastic containing suspected shabu amounting to ₱ 500.00 from the target personality identified as Noel Bagco,” said Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., Commander of the Western Mindanao Command.
Sensing that his buyer is a police operative, the suspect pulled a pistol from his waist and fired it towards the operative prompting the latter and the back-up team from the 5th Specials Forces Battalion, Polomolok Municipal Police Station, and PDEA12 to retaliate.
The exchange of fires resulted in the wounding of Bagco. He was then rushed to Polomolok Municipal Hospital but was declared Dead on Arrival by the attending physician.
“We immediately coordinated with the SOCO team from South Cotabato to process the area which further resulted in the recovery of three pieces fire cartridge of Caliber 9 mm, one Cal. 38 revolver loaded with one FCC and five live ammunition, one black Honda XRM 125, and one olive green sling bag containing the ₱ 500.00 buy-bust money and four heat-sealed transparent cellophane containing white crystalline substances believed to be shabu,” said Lt. Col. Randy Banaag, Commanding Officer of the 5th Special Forces Battalion.
The recovered items were placed under the custody of the South Cotabato Provincial Crime Laboratory Office (SCPCLO) for proper disposition and laboratory examination.
601st Infantry Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Roy Galido said that further investigation showed that Bagco was included in the list of spotters/supporters of the Daulah Islamiyah Soccksargen KHA 1 Tiba.
“The military will continue to assist law enforcement agencies in curbing illegal drug operations in the province. This is another accomplishment attributable to the combined efforts of our troops, the police, and the PDEA,” said Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, Commander of the Joint Task Force Central.
(Source: Western Mindanao Command Facebook Page)