I join the entire Philippine National Police in praying for the souls of two more officers who have sacrificed their lives while going after armed and dangerous drug traffickers.

I’m referring to the late Police Corporal Kirt Sipin and Patrolwoman Roselyn Bulias of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group who were shot to death by members of a big-time drug trafficking syndicate in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on Friday last week.

On Tuesday, PNP chief General Rommel Marbil and PDEG director Brigadier Gen. Ely Matta flew to the province to pay honors to the fallen policemen and their two colleagues who were also wounded in the encounter in Barangay Simuay that followed a buy-bust operation which resulted in the seizure of a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million.

Gen. Marbil has extended his deepest sympathies to the families of Sipin and Bulias who heroically sacrificed their lives while on an anti-narcotics mission in Bgy. Simuay. “Their ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten, as their courage epitomizes the highest ideals of service and dedication to the nation,” he said.

The PNP said it will shoulder the burial expenses of the two slain anti-narcotics officers and will provide the necessary financial assistance to their bereaved families. The PNP leadership also assured continued medical assistance for the recovery of Patrolmen Jonel Ramos and Eddie Sugarol who were wounded during the same operation.

“This incident underscores the seriousness of our campaign against illegal drugs. We honor the sacrifice of these brave officers by reaffirming our commitment to eliminating the scourge of illegal drugs from our communities and ensuring justice for all victims of this menace,” said Gen. Marbil.

Brig. Gen. Matta told me on Monday that he has talked with the two wounded agents who each received the PNP Wounded Personnel Medal. Patrolmen Ramos and Sugarol and the two slain cops were all members of the PDEG Special Operations-Unit Bangsamoro Administrative Region who were involved in an operation that targeted a major drug syndicate in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. The remains of Pat. Bulias has been transported to her hometown in Tawi-Tawi.

Matta said it appears that the companions of the suspects who sold the drugs to Bulias and Sipin apparently sensed they were dealing with undercover policemen. The suspects then alighted from their vehicle and sprayed the policemen with automatic gunfire.

Back-up operatives managed to return fire at one of the suspects’ vehicles. Bloodstains were found inside the vehicle indicating that some of its occupants who managed to escape were also hit during the gunfight.

Brig. Gen. Matta said Pat. Ramos is already out of danger while Pat. Sugarol has been released from hospital confinement. Ramos is being secured by his colleagues in an undisclosed hospital, the official told me while adding that the sting was fully supervised by three officers of the PDEG SOU-BARMM who were also at the scene when the gunbattle erupted.

The November 15 operation conducted by the PDEG SOU-BARMM with the help of the Army’s 6th Mechanized Battalion led to the dismantling of a major drug trafficking syndicate in Mindanao and the confiscation of a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million, the buy-bust money topped by a marked P1,000 bill and a caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing nine live ammunition. Two suspects were also arrested, I was told.

The Sultan Kudarat incident again proved the vast dangers confronting undercover policemen each time they conduct an anti-narcotics operation nowadays. The sad reality is that nowadays, so-called ‘poseur-buyers’ cannot wear bullet-proof vests or have a concealed firearm or a radio each time they make a deal as it will surely arouse the suspicion of their targets.

This is in contrast to the “drug war” launched by the police force during the Duterte administration from 2016 to 2022 wherein the usual narrative is this: the suspect/s sensed that he is dealing with an undercover officer and pulled out a concealed gun and tried to shoot the officer but missed. To defend himself, the undercover officer and his back-up shot the suspect killing him in the process.

Last week, the PNP said it could really be too late although they welcome the statement of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte that he will be giving P1 million and will start a fund-raising project to help cops who are still facing service-related charges after being involved in his bloody war on drugs.

FPRRD’s statement came as Gen. Marbil assured he will help provide legal assistance to policemen who have been slapped with service-related cases, some of them harassment suits in the performance of their duties during the former administration.

Citing official records, Gen. Marbil said that more that 1,000 policemen were affected by the previous government’s ‘war on drugs,’ with more than 300 dead and 975 wounded and over 300 charged in court leading to the dismissal from the service of many as well as the conviction of others by the court.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon