QC cops told PDEA of buy-bust on day before Commonwealth shootout

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was informed about the Quezon City Police District's plan to hatch a buy-bust operation against two drug personalities in the city, documents obtained by GMA News indicated.

According to Emil Sumangil's exclusive report on "24 Oras", documents showed the QCPD coordinated with the PDEA on February 23 a day ahead of the anti-drug operation and the deadly shootout between QC policemen and PDEA agents.  

The operation was supposed to be led by a police major with 29 other officials and operatives.

Based on the document, the Regional Tactical Operations Center of the PDEA-National Capital Region accepted the coordination form of the QCPD on the same day.

The coordination form was also marked for an extension until Thursday, February 25 after the QCPD-DSOU asked it to be extended due to its 24-hour validity.

In a separate pre-operational report, the names of the target in the operation were included.

A certificate of coordination from PDEA-NCR was signed by PDEA’s Duty ROC, John Michael Erlano, and was approved by PDEA-NCR Regional Director Adrian Alvariño.

The coordination was dated on February 23 at 12:51 p.m.

It also stated that the QCPD-DSOU is the operating unit of the buy-bust operation. The document also noted that the area of operation was at the PDEA-NCR area of responsibility.

The targets were alias James, alias Lyka, and accomplices.

“From the PDEA end, our agents are there on a legitimate buy-bust operation. ‘Yung atin pong mga tropa ay nag-coordinate at may proper documents supporting a buy-bust operation,” PDEA spokesperson Derrick Careon said.

“And in fact, may hawak po silang buy-bust money,” he added.

Four individuals--two policemen, a PDEA agent and an informant--were killed in the shootout on Wednesday. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News