CEBU CITY — A kidnapping suspect was killed after he allegedly shot it out with police Sunday night in Minglanilla town, southern Cebu.
Police identified the fatality as Joavani Bogo, who was tagged as a suspect in the abduction of a man last June 2.
Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Group-Visayas Field Unit and Minglanilla Police Station went to Sitio Bantayan, Barangay Tungkop for a surveillance but the man allegedly fired shots at them that resulted in a shootout, police said.
A .38-revolver was recovered from Bogo, police said.
“I was informed that the family of a missing person asked for help. Yesterday, when they (police) were conducting surveillance they were fired upon which led to the death of that person who happened to be a drug personality,” said Police Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius, chief of the Police Regional Office Central Visayas.
Ferro said investigators are looking into the possibility that the abduction had something to do with illegal drug trade.
“The analysis here is this is a drug incident that led to kidnapping. If someone was not able to remit the proceeds of illegal drugs or someone is suspected of being a police informant, an abduction is possible so that no information will be divulged,” Ferro said.
Investigators were not also discounting the possibility of a kidnap-for-ransom activity, Ferro said.(Calvin D. Cordova)
