The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday filed criminal complaints against two suspected drug personalities who were arrested Tuesday during the hours-long standoff in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental wherein a suspected big-time drug dealer was killed.
Charged for violation of Sec. 5 (selling and delivery of illegal drugs) of Article II of R.A. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunitions was a certain Agustin Ferolino Tag-at of Barangay 7, Tanjay City, said Insp. Ryan Jay Orapa, head of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (PAIDSOTG).
PAIDSOTG operatives had recovered from Tag-at a plastic sachet containing “shabu” and a caliber .38 revolver during a buy-bust operation shortly before the standoff in Barangay Polo, Tanjay City, said Orapa.
On the other hand, Tag-at’s supposed companion, Elbert Cataluna Curita of Barangay Polo was also charged for violation of Sec. 11 or possession of illegal drugs after a plastic sachet of suspect shabu was confiscated from his possession, Orapa added.
According to Insp. Orapa, the two are allegedly engaged in the illegal drugs trade and working for the late Marlon Silva, who was killed in a grenade explosion inside his house in Polo, Tanjay City.
Orapa explained that just before the PAIDSOTG team was to serve the warrant of arrest against Silva around 5 a.m. Tuesday, an undercover agent transacted with Tag-at in a buy-bust operation that led to his arrest.
However, the commotion warned Silva of the arrival of the police that immediately led to a shootout that was followed by hours of negotiation for the surrender of Silva, said to be the number one drug dealer in Tanjay City and the purported second big-time illegal drugs dealer in Negros Oriental.
Curita, meanwhile, was arrested much later after Silva was killed in a botched grenade explosion inside his house. Police believed that Silva had intended to lob the grenade at the policemen surrounding his house outside but it failed to pass through the window and instead went off in the room where Silva was holed out.
Curita and Tag-at are now detained at the Tanjay City jail.
In a related development, police recovered a cache of firearms from Silva’s house.
include a caliber .22 rifle, a KG9 9-millimeter assault rifle with Serial Number 911963, a caliber .45 Norinco pistol with Serial Number BA 18460-08-246, an Ingram assault rifle, three pieces of magazine for caliber .45 Macormic, assorted live ammunition for caliber .45 and one Fundador case box with two sachets containing suspected shabu.
Sr. Supt. Natu-el said these firearms are to be subjected to ballistics tests to determine if they match evidence collected from previous shooting incidents. (PNA/ CTB/JFP)
