Shootout drug bust operation in Tagoloan

By Jun Enriquez

 

Seated l-r: Mayor Dimakuta, Col. Ezra James Enriquez, PDEA Director Alvarino.  

Iligan City –In a press briefing held at the headquarters of the 2^nd Mechanized Infantry “Magbalantay” Brigade, Philippine Army, Ma. Cristina this city, October 11, 2016, that as early at 5:30 in the morning of this same day the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested illegal drug pusher, a certain Ismael Matuan Barao, 29 years old on a buy-bust operation by a posture buyer PDEA agent at Barao residence in Barangay Kiasar, Tagolaon, Lanao del Norte. The drug buy-bust operation was conducted by the joint operation of the PDEA and the 4^th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, under the command of Col. Alex Aduca, Battalion commander.

At right Ultimax shotgun & Armalite, mark money & shabu

PDEA Region 10 Director Adrian Alvariño, led the raiding team said the buy-bust transaction was consummated but later on the suspect sensing that he was transacting a PDEA agent immediately ran to the other house in the neighborhood, draw his gun and shoot the raiding team. The raiding team retaliated and hit the suspect leading to his arrest.

Recovered from the possession of Barao were more or less 20 grams of shabu, mark money used in the buy-bust by the posture agent worth 5,000 pesos, one Armalite M16 automatic rifle and Ultimax semi-automatic shotgun with number of ammunitions. Barao was wounded during the shootout and treated at the Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital this city.

seated right at background, Col. Alunday

Director Alvariño said that there are still plenty of names listed in Tagoloan area subject for follow-up operations. Alvariño said that they conducted intelligence operation to find out the suspect and was validated. He said they were looking at possibility the presence of drug laboratory in the area of responsibility in Region 10 considering the fact of 2 kilograms of illegal drugs – shabu was apprehended  last month in Iligan City. He said list of drug lords in Region 10 will not include Lanao del Sur. Alvariño said the suspect was the subject of the anti-drug operation and was validated target personality in the operation. There are many armed personalities and plenty of lawless elements present in the area of Tagoloan that’s why the raiding team also had its numbers. Alvariño said that the suspect was just came from a vacation in Manila. He had companions based on the list of illegal drug personalities but was not seen during the raid operation. He said they strongly believed that there were persons supplying illegal drugs in the Tagoloan area.

Tagoloan Mayor Mighty Dimakuta said the suspect is a resident in Kiasar with his family and parents. He said there was marijuana plantation raided before in forested area of Sitio Pindulunan Barangay Kiasar, Tagoloan  boundary of Pantar, Lanao del Norte.  He said that just recently, the 4^th Mechanized Battalion inspected the area and found out that there was a newly harvested marijuana plantation. Dimakuta said he instructed the Barangay chairman in the area to closely monitor and clear the marijuana plantation. He said that the area is very difficult to reach because of mountainous terrain and it is also difficult to identify any person responsible in planting the marijuana.

 

At right, Col. Enriquez inspects the contrabands

Col. Ezra James Enriquez, Deputy Commander of the 2^nd Mechanized “Magbalantay” Brigade, Philippine Army said they continue step up security measures and implemented pro-active actions based on the memorandum no. 5 on the State of lawlessness. He said PDEA is the main agency to execute the raid in buy-bust operation while the military is just a support mechanism. Col. Enriquez said Barao,the hospitalized suspected pusher is a manifestation of the protocol on International Humanitarian Law (IHL).  Col. Enriquez said the military had another purpose in the area fora clearing operation because the provincial government will launch a Specialize mass base program (SMBP) on October 13, 2016, to be held in Poblacion, Tagoloan, Lanaodel Norte. He said criminals if found verified and validated that they stayed in the controlled areasof the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), they will file complaint and request the Ad hoc joint action group (AHJAG) composed of the Military and MILF forces to go after the criminals for their arrest. Col. William A. Alunday is the commander of the 2^nd Mechanized Infantry “Magbalantay” Brigade, Philippine Army.