CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Friday a suspected drug dealer fought their raiding team and died in the encounter, contrary to reports saying he was executed by government operatives as they swooped down on two of the suspect’s houses the day before.
The reports quoted Gilbert Buenafe, PDEA-Caraga regional director, as saying Jabbar Sangcopan was shot for assaulting, or “nanlaban” in Filipino parlance, the anti-drug operatives.
Buenafe said the PDEA men tried to avoid a bloody encounter, but they had no choice except to ensure the safety of their operatives. He considered Sangcopan as a high-value target and an alleged leader of a drug ring with operations in the Caraga region, and was in Cagayan de Oro to hide from authorities.
Sangcopan’s children, however, said their father did not fight back, contrary to what the agents said.
One of Sangcopan’s daughters, “Lexi” [not her real name], a minor, said she and six of her siblings were inside the room of their parents when the PDEA agents entered their home in Sitio Capisnon, Kauswagan, this city.
“My father had just come back from buying banana for our snacks. Moments later, the armed men entered our house,” said “Lexi.”
She said two armed PDEA operatives told the children to go out of the room. Two of her older siblings, she added, refused to leave their parents, but were allegedly threatened by the agents.
After all the children had gone out of their parents’ bedroom, Lexi said she heard gunshots fired inside it. Recovered from the crime scene was a .38 caliber pistol.
Sangcopan succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. He did not reach the hospital alive.
Armed with a search warrant, PDEA agents raided the houses of Sangcopan in Kauswagan and in Opol, Misamis Oriental late Thursday.
Named in the warrant dated May 2 were Jabbar and one of his wives, Nasifa.
Sangcopan’s other wife Sindi was not in the warrant, which was issued by Judge Dennis Alcantar of Regional Trial Court branch 18, for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Buenafe said they had been monitoring Sangcopan for almost a year until they got information that the suspect was in the city.
Both Nasifa, residing in Kauswagan, and Sindi, living in Opol, were arrested in separate raids and were detained at the PDEA-10 detention facility as of Friday morning.
Sangcopan had eight children with Nasifa and eight more with Sindi.
Reports said more than P1 million worth of suspected shabu were confiscated from Sangcopan’s two houses.