Drug enforcement agent killed in Cebu ambush

CEBU CITY, Philippines - A fireman assigned at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 7 died two hours after he was shot before reaching his house in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City at past 10 p.m. Friday. Fire officer Priscillano Gingoyon Jr., a son of a former Cebu City policeman, passed away at the Mactan Doctors’ Hospital at 10:05 p.m. He was 45. Sr. Insp. Conrado Manatad of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office said a lone gunman fired at Gingoyon’s Pajero just 300 meters away from the officer’s home at 8:35 p.m. The incident caused a heavy traffic in the area until past 11 p.m. last night. PDEA lawyer Clarence Paul Oaminal said Gingoyon sustained three gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. Radio dySS reported last night that witnesses saw motorcycle-riding men flee the area after three gunshots rang out. PDEA 7 agent Levi Valmoria said on board Gingoyon’s vehicle was his male house helper. Details on the identity and whereabouts of his companion were still unavailable as of press time. However, Manatad said a witness to the shooting identified as Romulo Deo Soreño, 38, as the gunman. Soreño of Barangay Bangkal cooperated with the police and went to the station for questioning. He denied the allegations. Gingoyon, reportedly a former security guard of a university in Cebu City, was part of a PDEA 7 operation last April 23 in Minglanilla town. He acted as poseur buyer when the anti-narcotics agents arrested Buenaventura Villondo, his wife Lidevina, Arlito Oyao, Julius Geonzon, and Debra Zosa for peddling and possessing illegal drugs and paraphernalia. Anot Cañedo, the alleged drug den maintainer, eluded arrest shortly after his cohorts handed in three packs of shabu to a PDEA 7 poseur-buyer. Jessie Tabanao, PDEA 7 acting information officer, had said that suspect Buenaventura attacked Gingoyon with a wooden club but missed. Oyao and Geonson yielded one pack of shabu each while Zosa reportedly had a matchbox filled with tinfoil. Lidevina allegedly led Gingoyon to the drug den after he pretended to buy a pack of shabu in exchange for P500 at around 6 p.m. Tabanao said Villondo then reportedly handed a pack of shabu to Lidevina, who in turn, gave it to Gingoyon. Seeing his wife in handcuff, Villondo, out of anger, reportedly grabbed a wooden club and whacked Gingoyon but missed. Tabanao said Villondo tried to swing the club again but stopped after seeing Gingoyon already pointing a gun. The suspects were charged for violating the anti-drugs law. Gingoyon also played a major role in the entrapment of fish vendor Gilda Narvasa of Sitio Looc, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City in June last year. Narvasa handed wads of bills to Gingoyon inside the agency’s office allegedly to settle the case for violation of Section 5 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, against Salvador and Mercy Alquizalas. They were arrested in a raid in their house in Looc last June 26. Their son Paul eluded arrest. The operation resulted to the confiscation of three shabu sachets, drug paraphernalia, P22,600 cash, and $65. Before the raid, Gingoyon got three shabu sachets from the Alquizalases during a test buy. – Sun.Star Cebu