A policeman whose suspected illegal drug activities placed him in President Rodrigo Duterte's drug list was killed in a buy-bust operation in Agusan Del Norte on Monday afternoon.

In a report, Chief Superintendent Noli Romana, regional police director, said the victim was PO1 Ric Lyndon Cena, assigned to Remedios T. Romualdez municipal police station.

Romana said “Cena has already been a police target due to several confirmed reports of his alleged involvement in illegal drugs, adding that Cena was very elusive to authorities and even tested negative in a drug test.”

“Cena was in one of President Duterte’s lists of policemen who are involved in illegal drugs and even evaded to be tested when required during a conduct of random drug test,” he said.

Romana said the buy bust operation was conducted by Cabadbaran City police station with the regional office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority in the vicinity of Purok 9, Brgy, Tolosa, Cabadbaran City around 2:10 pm.

“Cena, however, noticed that the person he transacted is a member of the Regional Special Operation Group and drew his issued firearm which prompted a shootout with police elements who defended themselves by shooting the subject,” he said.

Romana said Cena was brought to Cabadbaran Emergency Hospitalbut was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Romana said operatives recovered a loaded 9mm pistol; five pieces of empty shells of unknown caliber; two cellular phones; one Honda motorcycle; two pieces motorcycle plate numbers; one piece of small transparent plastic and four big transparent plastic sachets of shabu; ten pieces of small sealed transparent plastic sachets of shabu from the body of the suspect; and P1,500 buy bust money from the crime scene.

“The recovered pieces of evidence will be submitted to Regional Crime Laboratory Office 13 for examination,” he noted. Robina Asido/DMS