2 cops killed, 2 injured in botched drug sting

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Two plainclothes anti-narcotics agents were killed, while two others were wounded in a shootout with drug dealers during a sting operation that yielded shabu worth P6.8 million in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Romeo Jaime Macapaz, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region director, said Pat. Kirt Sipin and Cpl. Roselyn Bulias died after a brief exchange of gunfire with four shabu dealers.

Two other police officers, Patrolmen Jonel Ramos and Eddie Sugarol, were injured.

Macapaz said the police officers were part of a team tasked to buy a kilo of shabu from four suspected dealers in Sultan Kudarat town.

However, the drug dealers, sensing they were dealing with undercover police agents, pulled out their guns and fired at the operatives during a tradeoff near the Crossing Simuay stretch of the national highway.

Two of the suspected drug dealers were wounded and are in police custody.

Police teams are in pursuit of two other suspects who escaped.

Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, Philippine National Police chief, vowed justice for the slain police officers who are members of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG).

“He said he, as head of the PNP, is saddened by the incident and that we will continue our fight against illegal drugs,” Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said in a news briefing yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta, PDEG director, identified two of the suspected drug traders only as alias Kasim and alias Ting.

Matta said the wounded officers were brought to a hospital for treatment.

He said that around one kilo of shabu, a .45-caliber handgun and bundles of marked money were recovered in the operation. — Emmanuel Tupas