ORMOC CITY– A former police personnel and his companion were killed in a shootout incident in connection to a buy-bust operation conducted against them by local police here on Sunday (March 17).
Killed were Nollete Rey Pagasartonga who was previously assigned at the police regional headquarters and Shane Carnacite.
Both were listed by the police operatives as high-value targets.
The two, listed as among the region’s high-value targets, were killed in a buy-bust operation along Tigbao- Pulak-St. Fe bypass Road in Brgy. 104 Salvacion in Tacloban City at about 5:20 am.
During the transaction, Pagasartonga handed four sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu to an operative acting as buyer in the amount of P20,000.
However, the suspects sensed the approaching police officers who were just around the area to act as security of the operation and were on their way to arrest them.
The two suspects, according to the police, allegedly drew their firearms and fired towards the operating team, leaving them but to defend themselves by firing back hitting the said suspects.
The two suspects, hit on the different parts of their bodies, were immediately brought to Eastern Visayas Medical Center Hospital for immediate medical attention but were pronounced dead on arrival.
Seized from the suspects were suspected shabu weighing 30 grams with a commercial value of P204,000.
The Tacloban City Forensic Unit that conducted crime scene processing recovered at the crime scene 16 pieces fired cartridges of alleged 5.56, one cal. 45 pistol, one piece magazine assembly with five live ammunition .45 Cal, one unit revolver .38 with one fired cartridge and with four pieces of live ammunition.
The bodies of the two suspects were brought to a local funeral parlor before returning their cadavers to their respective families.
(ROBERT DEJON)
