A senior police official accused of involvement in the illegal drug trade in Western Visayas was gunned down by his colleagues in a buy-bust operation in Zamboanga del Norte Monday night.
Chief Supt. Emmanuel Luis Licup, director of the Police Provincial Office in Region 9, identified the police official as Supt. Santiago Ylanan Rapiz, who was assigned to the Logistics Branch of the Zamboanga del Norte police provincial office.
Licup said Rapiz was killed after he drew his gun upon sensing he was dealing with a policeman during an illegal drug transaction in front of the Andres Bonifacio College Gymnasium in Dipolog City around 7:40 pm.
Rapiz, in his athletic shorts, had just gone from a basketball game inside the gymnasium and was scheduled to meet someone for a business deal, apparently involving drugs.
Rapiz tried to escape but was cornered by arresting officials and a shootout followed.
He was taken to the Corazon Aquino Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Found on him was a transparent plastic of suspected shabu worth P50,000 and a .45-caliber pistol.
Rapiz was formerly assigned in Western Visayas but was transferred to Zamboanga City due to his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
He was included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug watchlist and was reportedly the drug protector of Iloilo-based drug lord Melvin Odicta, who was killed at the Jetty Port in Caticlan, Aklan, barely days after surrendering to Camp Crame.
“Based on our information he is one of the drug protectors of the Odicta drug syndicate when he was assigned in Region 6 and apparently receiving P700,000 weekly from different drug personalities in Region 6,” said CITF commander Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr.
“His name came out as a drug protector when several high-value targets (HVT) were arrested by PDEA. During the police interrogation, his name came out as a drug protector of these arrested HVTs.”
Meanwhile, PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said some 1,200 to 1,700 policemen suspected to be involved in illegal drugs were being monitored by the intelligence community.
Rapiz brings to nine the number of police officers with suspected links to illegal drugs killed in the continued PNP internal cleansing of erring personnel relating to the government’s drug war and the third killed in Zamboanga City.