THREE armed drug trafficking suspects in Southern Mindanao have been killed in separate gunbattles that marred the conduct of buy-bust operations in Davao City this week, Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 Director Brigadier General Benjamin H. Silo Jr. on Friday said.

One of the three slain suspects, with the alias “Dondon,” tagged as a “high-value individual” (HVI) and the 2nd “most wanted” drug personality in Davao City, died in a firefight with local policemen in Sitio Balite in Barangay Buhangin past 2 a.m. last Thursday, the official said. The suspect was also reported to be involved in pickpocketing and robbery incidents in the city.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect were around 57 grams of shabu valued at P387,600 and an unlicensed caliber 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing three live ammunition.

An investigation showed that members of the Davao City Police Station (PS) 5, led by Major Bernie Suaga and Lieutenant Ronnie Batingal, launched the operation to arrest the 56-year-old suspect from Tibungco area.

However, the suspect apparently sensed he was dealing with an undercover officer in the middle of the police sting and pulled out a concealed gun and fired a shot at the poseur but missed.

A backup officer shot the suspect to defend his colleague. Initially recovered from the possession of the wounded suspect was a large plastic packet containing shabu and the buy-bust money.

He was taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), where an attending physician declared him dead upon arrival.

The 2nd suspect with the alias “Sadam,” a known “small-level individual” involved in the sale and distribution of shabu in Davao City, was killed in a firefight with members of the Davao City PS 9 Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) around 6:10 p.m. last Monday in Bgy. 76-A in Bucana area.

Silo said that the 29-year-old suspect from Jerah Street, Purok 4, also tried to shoot the undercover officer he was dealing with but failed to hit his target.

The cop managed to fire at the suspect in self-defense, hitting the latter in the body. He died while being rushed to the SPMC.

Recovered were one unlicensed revolver with several live ammunition and spent cartridge, eight plastic sachets with shabu valued at P18,000, a crumpled aluminum foil with traces of suspected shabu, marijuana leaves, and the marked money.

The 3rd suspect, a known street-level drug dealer in Davao City who, yielded an unlicensed cal. .38 revolver and around P100,000 worth of shabu during a shootout in Purok 7, Kawayanan in Bgy. 8-A, Davao City, shortly before 12 midnight Wednesday.

Silo said that the 25-year-old resident of Bgy. 2-A exchanged fire with undercover agents who tried to arrest him after he sold drugs to a poseur and was killed in the process when the lawmen retaliated in self-defense.

Recovered from the slain suspect were two marked P1,000 bills paid to him by the agent, a portable weighing scale, and several drug paraphernalia.

Silo said four other suspects led by one “Leonard,” known as an HVI in the region, were arrested in an anti-narcotics operation in Purok 9, Lower Baracatan, in Toril District, Davao City last Saturday.

Confiscated from the suspects were an estimated P335,000 worth of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” and the buy-bust money.

The two others yielded nearly P41,000 worth of shabu during a buy-bust operation in Purok Centro 4 in Dacudao Subdivision, Bgy. Jose P. Laurel in Panabo City in Davao del Norte last Saturday.

All six arrested suspects are now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, said Brig. Gen. Silo.