BALANGA CITY — One died while 20 were arrested during a one-time focus operation by the Philippine National Police here Friday.
Supt. Byron Allatog, Balanga City police chief, identified the fatality as Jun Balbuena of Munting Batangas, a village here, who died during a buybust operation before midnight of Friday.
Balbuena allegedly drew his firearm and tried to shoot after selling a sachet of shabu to his buyer that he sensed was a police officer.
The police chief said investigators found in the possession of suspect a .45 pistol, nine medium-size sachets of shabu and P1,000-bill marked money.
“Namonitor namin na ang suspek ang nagbabagsak ng shabu sa Balanga,” Allatog said.
He said that the killing of the drug suspect was part of their 12-hour operation after careful planning and study.
“We launched whole day operation or onetime operation not only focused on drugs but on illegal firearms and other crimes. Twelve hours na dire-diretso ang trabaho at nagtulong-tulong ang lahat ng police personnel ng city,” Allatog said.
Arrested were nine drug personalities and 11 suspects in different crimes like illegal possession of firearms, robbery, theft and physical injuries with pending warrants of arrest, the police chief said.
He called on remaining drug dependents in the city to avail temselves of the local government’s program in community rehabilitation. He said that the city government under Mayor Francis Garcia has funded for P2 million the community drug program where graduates will gain training for gainful employment once released.
