THE Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) mourns the death of one of their agents who, since 2021 had played a key role in a series of major anti-narcotics operations conducted by the unit, which led to the seizure of over P1.5 billion worth of shabu and the neutralization of over a dozen “high-value targets” (HVTs) including some African nationals, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

“We are grieving the death of Patrolman Domino Miñano who was shot and killed while involved in a surveillance mission in Mandaluyong City last Thursday,” said PNP-DEG Director Brigadier General Randy Q. Peralta as he condoled with the family of the slain cop.

After joining the police force to fight drugs and crime four years ago, Miñano left his grieving wife, Mylene, and a young son.

“Dada” to his friends and colleague, the 29-year-old Pat. Miñano joined the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on November 27, 2018, and became a member of the Public Safety Basic Recruit Course Alab-Kalasag Class of 2018-01.

A criminology graduate from the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) in Valenzuela City, Miñano was one of the 150 rookie cops who accepted the challenge to help the government’s war on drugs by joining the PNP-DEG in February 2020.

He was first assigned with the DEG Special Operations Unit 8 as a field operative tasked to conduct surveillance operations and counter-intelligence.

His colleagues fondly remember him as a skilled motorcycle rider who never tires of tailing their targets.

He was later transferred to SOU 3 and later the SOU National Capital Region Office of the PNP-DEG.

Despite the many challenges, his superiors described him as a “valuable asset” in the PNP-DEG who did not waver in his mission.

Brig. Gen. Peralta cited the participation of the slain cop in the implementation of a number of major DEG operations that targeted Nigerian, Chinese nationals, and jailed drug personalities involved in large-scale trafficking of shabu in the country.

The following are among the major PNP-DEG anti-narcotics where Pat. Miñano participated by either acting as a member of the surveillance team, the arresting, and seizing team or poseur-buyer: the neutralization of Nigerian Kingsley Iwumune who yielded a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million; the arrest of Marlon Bayan and Guimalodin Lampay for trafficking of 8 kilos of shabu valued at P54.4 million; the arrest of Reineir Reboriano and Joshua Legaspi who yielded 3 kilos of shabu worth P20.4 million; the neutralization of Nigerian nationals Gabriel Onyechefula and Emmanuel Christopher Chukwuma who yielded a total of 3.3 kilograms of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” valued at P22.4 million; the neutralization of Jen Jieko Amarga and Andrew Garcia and the seizure of 31 kilograms of shabu worth over P210 million; the arrest of Randy Rafael who yielded 14.4 kilos of shabu worth nearly P100 million; the arrest of Ace Arciaga and the confiscation of 10 kilos of shabu worth P68 million; the arrest of Muslimin Salim and the recovery of nearly 17 kilograms of shabu worth over P100 million; the arrest of Christian Ely Desiderio and the recovery of nearly 9 kilos of shabu worth nearly P62 million; the arrest of John Rey Barendse who yielded a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million; and the arrest of Isaac Gabriel Ambulo and the confiscation of nearly 20 kilograms of shabu worth P136 million.

Brig. Gen. Peralta said that Pat. Miñano also acted as the “poseur-buyer” in a sting in San Pedro City, Laguna, which netted P68 million worth of shabu.

For his feat, he has been already been the recipient of 44 PNP medals including 3 Medalya ng Kadakilaan and 11 Medalya ng Kagalingan.

Brig. Gen. Peralta said that the slain cop was performing an official surveillance mission along Calbayog Street in Barangay Highway Hills in Mandaluyong City when attacked by a group of “HVTs” believed to be involved in large-scale trafficking of shabu in Metro Manila.

Three suspects in the attack were arrested on Thursday afternoon.

“We have arrested three of the suspects and are still tracking down another,” said the official.

One of the two suspects was identified as Gerry Yema Geron, a native of Sariaya, Quezon, working in Bgy. Highway Hills in Mandaluyong City was identified as the gunman killed in a gunfight with PNP-DEG officers after he shot and killed Pat. Miñano.

The other suspects were arrested in a hot pursuit operation conducted by PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit-National Capital Region operatives led by Lt. Col. Arnulfo G. Ibañez. The suspects were described as a “lookout” and driver of one of their getaway motorcycles.

Brig. Gen. Peralta said that a SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operations) team recovered five spent caliber .45 cartridges and a deformed slug at the place where Pat. Miñano was shot repeatedly.

Recovered at the scene of the ensuing shootout which left Gerry Geron dead, was a chamber-loaded cal. .45 pistol.

The gun had a magazine containing four live ammunition. Also found in the same area were a leather holster and six spent .45 casings.

Brig. Gen. Peralta said that Pat. Miñano was one of the undercover officers from the DEG Special Operations Unit-National Capital Region conducting an official surveillance mission along Mariveles Street in Bgy. Highway Hills when they were attacked without any provocation by the armed man around 12:45 p.m. Thursday.

The slain suspect fired at least four shots at Pat. Miñano, the bullets piercing the officer’s head before fleeing on board a motorcycle.

He was later cornered at the P & D3 Building located at the corner of Calbayog and Mariveles Streets, where he was killed in an ensuing gunbattle.

On behalf of the entire police force, PNP (Philippine National Police) Chief General Dionardo B. Carlos offered his deepest sympathy to the family of the slain policeman, the latest anti-narcotics agent to be killed in the line of duty since the Duterte administration launched its war on drugs in July 2016.

“My men were conducting surveillance in the area when the motorcycle-riding assailants arrived and started shooting Pat. Meniano in the head without any provocation. This is the risk and price of performing our duty,” said Brig. Gen. Peralta.

The official added that his men, joined by officers from the Mandaluyong City Police Station, immediately launched a dragnet to arrest the killers and later exchanged fire with the slain suspect.

Peralta said that the suspects have been under surveillance for a month before they apparently sensed the ongoing operation and plotted the attack.

The official said that they have information that the suspects were acting on the instruction of a jailed drug personality. “They are believed to be involved in robbery-holdup and gun-for-hire activities and later, drug trafficking,” he said.