COTABATO CITY – Police said a suspected drug peddler included in its “high value targets” list was killed after he resisted arrest during a buy-bust operation in Libungan, North Cotabato on Wednesday.
Supt. Bernard Tayong, North Cotabato provincial police spokesman, said suspect Allan Pananggalan quickly pulled his .38 caliber revolver after sensing he was dealing with a policeman while peddling illegal drugs in Barangay Montay, Libungan town, past noontime on Wednesday.
Pananggalan was shot at close range by the plainclothes policeman who acted as the buyer. The suspect was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival by doctors, he added.
Tayong said an entrapment operation was earlier planned against Pananggalan, a high-value target, after the provincial drug enforcement unit learned of his presence in Montay.
Police recovered from the suspect’s possession a snub nose .38 caliber revolver, seven sachets of suspected shabu, marked money and assorted identification cards containing different names.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Police Regional Office -12 director, lauded the Libungan and North Cotabato police office for the continuing law enforcement operations against drug offenders. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
