'Target-listed pusher'' slain in GenSan drug bust

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- A "high-value target" drug personality died following an encounter with law enforcement authorities operatives here late Sunday afternoon, a police official said.

Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, the spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, identified the slain suspect as Nińo Atoc Dacigao alias “Nano,” 22, who was listed as a level 1 target in the inter-agency drug information database or former drug list of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Capellan said the suspect was killed after resisting arrest during a buy-bust operation at his house in Zone 6 in Barangay Bula around 5:30 p.m.

Citing a report from the PRO-12’s drug enforcement unit, he said the suspect sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth PHP500 to a police officer who posed as a buyer.

But after the transaction, Capellan said Dacigao drew a handgun after noticing the presence of other police operatives and fled from the scene.

“He was later cornered but engaged the team in a brief firefight that resulted in his fatal wounding,” Capellan said.

Dacigao was brought to the nearest hospital but was declared dead upon arrival by attending doctors, he said.

Capellan said the slain suspect yielded PHP500 marked bill, a .38-caliber revolver loaded with two bullets, a gray sling bag, and 10 more sachets of suspected shabu.

A fired slug from the suspect’s handgun and three from a caliber 9mm issued firearm of the operatives were found at the scene.

“The suspect was considered as a big-time drug pusher based on the recovered shabu,” Capellan said.

The seized illegal drugs and other pieces of evidence were turned over to the regional police crime laboratory for proper examination and valuation, he added. (PNA)