By Marie Tonette Marticio

TACLOBAN CITY – A high school student was slain in a shootout with law enforcement officers, who also recovered around P800,000-worth of shabu from the suspect, in a buy-bust operation Monday night, March 9, in this city.

The suspect was identified as Annfernie Olano, 19, a resident of Guadalupe, Cebu City, and a high-value individual (HVI) of Eastern Visayas Police.

P/Capt. Winrich Laya Lim, head of the City Drug Enforcement Unit, said a poseur buyer was able to buy a sachet of shabu worth P22,000 from the suspect in Barangay 92 Apitong at around 7:45 p.m.

When the transaction was consummated, the poseur buyer gave the pre-arranged signal, prompting the arresting team to move in and arrest the suspect.

However, Lim said Olano drew his firearm, and fired at the approaching police officers.

This prompted the arresting team to return fire hitting the suspect, which resulted in his instantaneous death.

Also recovered from the suspect were a caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, 19 heat-sealed plastic sachet containing shabu, a small digital weighing scale, and his school ID.

His remains were brought to a funeral parlor here, while the recovered items were brought to the crime laboratory for proper disposition.