SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 Nov) – Seven persons were killed and three more were wounded in drug-related shooting and stabbing incidents in a span of three days that started last Saturday, police said.
Supt. Noel Silvosa, city police chief, said this year’s killings that involved illegal drugs have become unprecedented compared to previous years, although he could not yet give the numbers.
At 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, a shooting occurred along Diez Street corner Boulevard. Police identified the victim as Eddie Yepes, 37, a resident of Pantalan 2.
The victim was shot with a caliber .45 pistol by riding-in tandem suspects. He died instantly.
Police said the victim was in their list of drug personalities in the city who never surrendered.
Later at 7 p.m., riding-in-tandem killers struck again, killing one suspected drug pusher and seriously wounding another in Purok Della, Barangay Washington. Police said Sherwin Silvosa Buniel, a 34-year-old driver mechanic and resident of Purok Ilang-Ilang in Barangay Ipil, died after being hit with multiple caliber .45 pistol shots. Cris Ben Pejan, 33, of Pantalan 11 in Barangay Taft, was seriously wounded and now recuperating at the Caraga Regional hospital.
Police said these victims are involved in the proliferation of illegal drugs.
Just past midnight the next day, three persons were killed while another was seriously wounded when riding-in-tandem suspects again open fired on the four inside an internet café along Navarro Street.
Police could only identify two of the fatalities, who died on the spot: Billy Joe Uy, a resident of Navarro Street; and Renando Cotache, 29, driver and resident of Punta Biling-Biling. Police said two small sachets of suspected shabu were recovered from the possession of Cotache.
The lone survivor who suffered a gunshot wound was identified as Carmelito Gonzales, Sitio Pangi, Barangay Daywan, Claver, Surigao del Norte. He is now in stable condition.
At 4:20 p.m. Sunday, a suspected drug pusher identified as Jose Reyna fired his gun toward his former lover, Jeaza Rojo, who was riding a motorcycle driven by her current live-in partner, Jonaver Ebol. Reyna was also reportedly on a motorcycle and was chasing the duo at Barangay Togbongon when he fired his gun several times. Their motorcycles crashed, and the lovers Ebol and Rojo survived, but the latter was hit on her thigh.
Rojo said she was accused by Gonzales as an asset of the police in the campaign against illegal drugs.
At 5:45 p.m. on the same day, two unidentified suspects stabbed to death Dov Pet Celis, 38, along Navarro Street in Purok Ilang-Ilang, Barangay Taft. Police said Celis was peddling shabu drugs in the area, but due to the shortage of supply of this substance, he resorted to selling fake drugs that contained “tawas” or potassium aluminum sulfate.
On Monday, a shooting incident transpired at Sitio Suyatan, Barangay Sabang 3. Police identified the victim as Leo Jornales, 51, boat operator and resident of Purok 4 of the said village.
The victim reportedly having his motorcycle repaired at a shop when an unidentified gunman shot him multiple times, killing him instantly.
Police said the victim is listed as among the drug personalities but failed to surrender. (Roel N. Catoto / MindaNews)