3 drug suspects killed during serving of search warrant in Negros Occidental

Three drug suspects were killed while another was injured during the implementation of search warrants in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.

PNP Directorate for Operations acting director Police Brigadier General Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr. said authorities were implementing multiple search warrants against a high-value drug personality Wednesday afternoon.

“At ito nga ay nagresulta sa isang engkwentro. Namatay ang ating primary suspect because he resisted arrest. Despite the operation, siya ay lumaban sa ating kapulisan,” he said at a press briefing.

(And this resulted in an encounter. Our primary suspect died because he resisted arrest. Despite the operation, he fought with our police.)

“And during the follow-up operation at about 7 p.m., doon sa the same barangay, nagkaroon ulit ang pangalawang engkwentro kung saan nagresulta naman ito sa pagkamatay ng dalawang suspek,” he added.

(And during the follow-up operation at about 7 p.m. in the same barangay, there was a second encounter that resulted in the deaths of the two suspects.)

Police also reported that one wounded individual linked to the illegal drug trade was later found in a hospital in Sagay City.

Recovered from the scene were firearms and suspected illegal drugs. 

In a separate statement, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the recovered items from the operations were: 

• 13 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing more or less 13 grams worth P88,400
• assorted drug paraphernalia
• two black sling bags
• P10,000 cash in various denominations believed to be proceeds from illegal drug activities
• an M16A1 rifle
• an M16A1 magazine
• 23 live ammunition of 5.56 mm
• three fired cartridges of 5.56 mm
• two caliber .45 pistols
• two magazines of caliber .45
• four live ammunition of caliber .45
• two empty shells of caliber .45 

“Appropriate documentation and inventory of the seized items were conducted at the scene in the presence of required witnesses. All recovered evidence were turned over to the proper authorities for laboratory examination and proper disposition,” the DPEA said.