By CESAR JOLITO III

An alleged drug lord and two individuals tagged as high-value drug personalities were killed in separate armed encounters with authorities in Negros Occidental’s Escalante City yesterday.

Authorities identified the fatalities as Joseph Moso Bindoy, who was reportedly considered a drug lord and had multiple standing warrants of arrest, along with Piolo Morning Regodos of Barangay Malasibog and Roy Bagayo Manija, Jr. of Barangay Jonob-jonob in the city.

Initial reports indicated that the operation was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Negros Island Region, in coordination with local police units and the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

Bindoy was the primary target of a buy-bust operation conducted around 2:00 p.m. in Barangay Jonob-jonob’s Sitio Napulangan 2.

However, authorities said the suspect attempted to flee and sought refuge in a light-material house, which led to an exchange of gunfire.

Recovered from Bindoy were an M16 rifle with a magazine containing 23 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition and several sachets of suspected illegal drugs.

Later that evening, at around 7:00 p.m., pursuing operatives encountered Regodos and Manija, resulting in another firefight.

The two were reportedly armed with .45 caliber pistols.

Authorities believe the three suspects were part of a larger group, and a hot pursuit operation is ongoing to locate other possible accomplices.

No casualties were reported on the side of government forces as of this writing./CJ, WDJ