Mandaue cops: Operation vs. "shabu queen" was legit

CEBU, Philippines – Only personnel of the Mandaue City Police Office were involved in last Saturday’s buy bust operation that resulted to the death of a suspected drug pusher.

The Mandaue police also said that the operation was legitimate and there were no agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), who were involved.

The police said that they suspect one of the men of Inday Catandijay, the alleged “shabu queen” in Zone 3, barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City, was the one who shot dead Rodolfo Sabrozo, Jr.

Police Supt. Jason Capoy, chief of the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force, said they have leads as to who among the men of Catandijay fired the shots.

The 13-year-old son of Catandijay was also wounded in the incident.

Capoy said that they suspect that the residents of the area are in Catandijay’s payroll, which is why somebody shouted at Sabrozo not to lead the police to the lair of the alleged “shabu queen.”

This also led the authorities to believe that one of the men of Catandijay shot Sabrozo using an improvised shotgun.

The use of such weapon is also the reason why the boy was hit, Capoy said.

MCPO director Orlando Ualat, Sr. said that the bullet that killed Sabrozo and hurt the boy did not come from his men.

Ualat said that although he is yet to receive a copy of the autopsy report and ballistic examination of the firearms used, he is positive that the bullet came from an improvised shotgun and none of his men has been issued such firearm.

Ualat also said that no PDEA agents were involved in the operation as claimed by the family of Catandijay.

He said that the source of information that the PDEA agents were the ones involved came only from a bystander who is also one of Catandijay’s men.

Ualat said that although there was no presence of a PDEA agent during the operation, they had coordinated with the agency.

The Mandaue police chief also said that the neighbors of Catandijay tried to stop the policemen by throwing stones. 

This, he said, was the reason why Catandijay and a certain Virgilio Harayo, who were allegedly repacking shabu that time, were able to flee.

Ualat also cited the problem of getting a witness as the people in the area are not cooperative with the authorities.

He said that when Sabrozo was arrested in a buy bust operation, he told police that he would lead them to the place where Catandijay was reportedly re-packing illegal drugs. 

This was the reason why the police immediately rushed to the area without getting a warrant as they decided to do another buy bust operation, which did not push through due to the shooting.

Taken from Sabrozo when he was arrested was one small pack of suspected shabu that was the subject of the buy bust, and nine other packs that we found in his pockets. — Flor Z. Perolina/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)