Within a span of 15 days, 5 drug lords, including a female shabu peddler who also allegedly worked as a “mama sang” at a KTV Bar in Tagbilaran City, had been liquidated in which victims were shot dead with a masterful accuracy by daring assailants believed to be members of the dreaded Davao Death Squad. But social media sites are abuzz with high public approval of the killings, with people commenting on Facebook site that the killings of drug pushers would lead to a Bohol being free from the clout of illegal drugs, which have been blamed on rising criminality. The latest victim in the series of killings involving drug personalities was a trusted aide of dismissed policeman Owen Rosales, who on June 8, 2014 was killed in a shootout with police forces in Bien Unido town 12 hours after he ambushed and killed Ubay police chief, Major George Salcedo Caña.

Police identified the latest casualty in the war against illegal drugs as Giovanne Orevillo Cuizon, alyas Bajoy, 26, single, native from Talibon town, but a resident of Phase 1, Lindaville Subdivision, this city. Cuizon's companion, Melvic Godarido Handugan, 25, married, a mechanic and resident of Barangay Anunang, Valencia town, told police investigators that at around 7:30 p.m. last Friday he was driving a red-orange automobile car along J.A. Clarin Street, with Cuizon sitting beside him, when, upon reaching at the junction road going to Island City Mall and near City Hall, he heard two bursts of gunfire. Seeing that Cuizon was shot in the head and bloodied, Handugan said he immediately disembarked from the car and took a tricycle going to Camp Dagohoy and sought police assistance.

The driver said he saw Cuizon's two suspected killers on board a motorcycle speeding off towards Sikatuna St., Dampas District, this city. Police said Cuizon had taken over Owen Rosales' drug operations after the latter's death during an encounter with police forces in Bien Unido town. Twenty-three hours earlier, two suspected drug lords were also killed after sunset at Baguio Drive, Taloto District, Tagbilaran City. City Police chief Major George Acol Vale told media that around 6:10 p.m. last Thursday (Sept. 18), the City PNP Office received a call about a shooting incident in Taloto area. Responding to the crime scene, police found two victims lying in the road with their own pool of blood. Police identified the victims as Richie Tabiliran Campanilla, a native of Barangay Can-upao, Jagna town but resident of Dao District, this city, and Edwin “Awing” Tare, brother of Artemio Tare Jr., who nearly a month earlier was killed in Guindulman town during a shootout with Guindulman police operatives who were conducting a roadside checkpoint.

Artemio Tare Jr. was responsible for the killing of Police Officer 1 Michael June Ejoc and wounding of three other police officers. Before he was killed in Guindulman on August 23, 2014, A. Tare also wounded two police officers from Guindulman Police Station who were about to frisk him inside a Southern Star bus. Both Tare brothers, according to police sources, were noted drug dealers operating in the city and nearby towns. Initial investigation revealed that one of the witnesses told police that he heard a series of gunfire shots last Thursday shortly before dusk. Later, nearby Taloto residents found Campanilla and Edwin Tare lying in the road lifeless. Police investigation revealed that E. Tare sustained 10 gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body while Campanilla sustained four.

Recovered from the crime scene were recovered eighteen (18) pieces of fired cartridge cases, five (5) fired bullets/slugs, two (2) bullets fragments, and from the possession of the two (2) victims following items are as follows: Five (5) transparent cellophane long sachet containing suspected SHABU granules, one (1) syringe, four (4) sim cards, one (1) memory card, one (1) gold ring, one (1) Nokia cellphone color black, one (1) red notebook, one Professional Driver's License, Cogon Night High school I.D., BISU School I.D., FCB Pitakard, brown wallet containing coins seven pesos (P7.00), one (1) cash Saudi real (all identification cards and money owned by Richie Campanilla), and one (1) unit Honda RS 125 motorcycle, color black, with temporary plate no. 7A-1263, with one key, two Student permit of Neilsor Tubiano Basallo and Nathanael Tubiano Basallo both legal age, a resident of Tabalong, Dauis, Bohol, and assorted DU EK SAM receipts of said motorcycle bearing the name of Neilsor T. Basallo.

A day before Edwin Tare and Campanilla were killed by riding-in-tandem assassins, another high-ranking drug lord was shot dead in Calape town. Police identified the victim as Ronnie Salomon Abarquez, 50, married, a resident of Mandaug Gamay, Calape town. He sustained one gunshot wound in the head. Initial investigation conducted by Calape Police Station revealed that while the victim was about to buy a cigarette lighter at the Nazareno Sari-sari Store, located along the national highway of San Isidro, Calape, Abarquez was suddenly shot by an unknown suspect hitting on his head which resulted to his instantaneous death. Police recovered from the victim fifteen 15 pieces small heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline believed to be shabu, one (1) piece improvised tooter, nine (9) pieces rolled tin foil, one (1) unit caliber .45 pistol with six (6) live ammunitions inserted in the magazine, one (1) empty shell of caliber .45 found at the crime scene and cash money amounting to P2,350.

Fast rewind, on Sept. 5, 2014, a KTV bar, a drug queen was shot dead by two riding-in-tandem assassins while the victim was walking along CPG Avenue, in front of Bohol Island State University (BISU). Police identified the victim as Aliwayway Gader Solis, reportedly a native of Barangay De Oro, Tabon-tabon, Butuan City. She sustained one single gunshot wound in the upper right ear. Police said that Solis was involved in illegal drug business while working as “mama sang” at a KTV bar located in downtown Tagbilaran. She allegedly failed to remit to her bosses drug sales worth more than P300,000. The death toll of suspected drug pushers could have been six had another drug lord refused to surrender when he was arrested during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tawala, Panglao town. Police Senior Inspector Jacinto Mandal Jr., Panglao police chief, identified the alleged drug lord and at the same time alleged suspect in the series of robbery victimizing foreign tourists as Louie KenchieCubar, who police said tried to engage with the law enforcers but Cubar'sgun malfunctioned. Cubar was eventually arrested by police operatives on the day his uncle, Randy Cubar Cimafranca, another suspected drug dealer in Panglao, was arrested in Panglao town during a buy-bust operation. Meanwhile, aside from Rosales, two other notable drug lords killed recently were Jerry Bunado and Romulo Caño, alyas Inday Bono.