A suspected leader of a drug group in Negros Occidental was killed in an encounter with joint police operatives in a buy-bust at Estrella Subdivision, Barangay 6 in Victorias City yesterday morning.
Police identified the fatality as Leoner Jalandoon, 44, a high-value target in the regional police watch list.
Jalandoon’s 18-year-old live-in partner was arrested during the operation.
A report from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 (Western Visayas) said Jalandoon died after a policeman shot him when he fought it out after noticing that he was transacting with an undercover policeman at about 8:10 a.m.
Col. Romeo Baleros, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said in a radio interview the operatives employed precautionary measures since Jalandoon was considered “armed and dangerous”.
He was supplying shabu to contacts in both Negros Occidental and Panay Island, Baleros added.
The suspect attempted to sell P27,000 worth of shabu to the poseur-buyer during the yesterday’s operation.
Jalandoon was originally a resident of Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago, Bacolod City and recently stayed in a rented house at the northern Negros city.
The police report said aside from the big sachet of shabu, which was the buy-bust item, operatives also seized 101 sachets of the prohibited substance with an estimated value of P2.7 million.
The operation was conducted by joint personnel of Victorias City Police Station Anti-Drug Enforcement Team, Bacolod City Police Office Intelligence Unit, and PRO-6 Regional Drug Enforcement Unit.* (Nanette Guadalquiver, NDB)
