BACOLOD CITY— An alleged notorious drug group leader and his cousin were killed in a police pursuit operation in Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago in this city late Thursday afternoon.
Police identified the fatalities as Ramy Poja, 36, the number one most wanted of Bacolod City Police Station 3, and one of Western Visayas’ high-value targets; and Roberto “Bobby” Lim, a suspected member of the notorious Poja drug group here.
The Bacolod police neutralized Poja three months after Chief Superintendent Cesar Binag, director of Police Regional Office-6, ordered his arrest after the alleged drug leader eluded previous operations.
Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Police Office, confirmed the death of Poja in a press briefing late Thursday night.
He said Poja sustained gunshot wounds on both hands and shoulders, and his remains will be subjected to an autopsy.
The operations on Thursday was initiated by joint personnel of Police Station 3 headed by Senior Inspector Victor Paulino, Special Weapons and Tactics team led by Superintendent Leonardo Borromeo, City Intelligence Unit led by Inspector Adrian James Albaytar, and the Bacolod City Mobile Force Company.
Police said the drug group engaged the policemen in two gunfights on Thursday.
The first operation took place at 1:30 p.m. when Paulino and the team from Police Station 3 raided an illegal gambling activity in Purok Rosas Pandan, Sitio Sibucao where they also seized “shabu” and drug paraphernalia.
Paulino’s team engaged some suspected members of the Poja group in a shootout.
Paulino was wounded in the first shootout.
The second operation was conducted in Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago in this city. The joint police operatives were after suspected drug group members inside the house of Poja’s relative.
The second gunfight claimed the lives of Poja and Lim. Also wounded in the firefight was suspect Rusty Constantino while Erlinda Cordova and her son Jhodan Cordova were hit by stray bullets.
Operatives arrested Poja’s girlfriend, Claudine Bindol, and another person identified as Cyril Jarina inside the house.
They also seized a big plastic sachet of “shabu” weighing 50 grams valued at PHP840,000, as well as a Spyke tactical 5.56 caliber rifle with long magazine loaded with 20 rounds and an Armscor .45 caliber pistol with magazine.
Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, public information officer of BCPO, said on Friday both Bindol and Jarina were brought to the crime laboratory for paraffin test.
The wounded suspect is being treated at a hospital under police watch, she added.
Vargas said the legal team of the Bacolod police Investigation and Detection Management Group and personnel of Police Station 3 are completing the documents for the filing of cases. (PNA)
