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1 killed, 1 arrested in Cotabato City anti-drug ops

By Edwin Fernandez

July 2, 2018, 5:57 pm

COTABATO CITY--A drug suspect was killed while another one was arrested during separate police anti-drug operations here Sunday.

Chief Insp. Tirso Pascual, police station 4 commander, said drug suspect Ibrahim Catinding, 42, of Barangay Mother Poblacion, fired his homemade pistol towards approaching policemen during the 5 p.m. operation, leading to a shootout.

Police and agents of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM) were to serve search warrants against Catinding when the latter opted to shoot it out with authorities, resulting in his death.

Police said they rushed the suspect to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

“We really wanted him to peacefully surrender but he chose to shoot it out with lawmen,” Pascual told reporters Monday. Seized from Catinding were two huge sachets of shabu with an estimated market value of PHP128,000 and a homemade pistol.

Also on Sunday evening, police and village watchmen arrested Butiting Sabpa, 34, of Barangay Bulalo for “shabu” peddling activities.

Police said the motorcycle-riding Sabpa was approaching a joint police and Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) checkpoint in the village when he tossed off a sachet of “shabu” but was noticed by authorities.

Since January 1, the total number of drug suspects killed for resisting anti-drug operations rose to 85 in Region 12, records from the Police Regional Office 12 indicated. (PNA)

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