Narco cop linked to Jaguar shot dead
By CALVIN D. CORDOVA
CEBU CITY – A policeman who was accused of being involved in the illegal drug trade was killed after he allegedly resisted arrest in a buy-bust operation Sunday night in Mandaue City.
Senior Insp. Raymond G. Hortezuela, who was assigned in Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO), succumbed to gunshot wounds in the body.
Hortezuela, who was previously assigned at the Guadalupe Police Station in Cebu City, was the subject of a buy-bust operation conducted by the Counter-Intelligence Task Force(CITF)-Visayas, Mandaue City Drug Enforcement Unit and Police Regional Intelligence Division (RID).
Police said Hortezuela was about to be arrested after dealing with poseur-buyers when he allegedly tried to draw a .45 caliber pistol that prompted the arresting team to shoot him.
Police said seized from Hortezuela’s possession were 75 small sachets of suspected shabu and P68,830 cash.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office-Region 7, said the CITF had been monitoring Hortezuela for more than a year due to persistent reports that he was involved in illegal drug activities.
Hortezuela, based on intelligence operations, is a protector of Cebu-based drug lord Jeffrey Diaz, alias Jaguar, who was killed in the first wave of war on drugs in 2016.
“When he was assigned at the Guadalupe Police Station in Mandaue City, he was reported to have recycled recovered shabu evidence. After the death of Jaguar, it was believed that he was the go-between to some remnants of the Jaguar Group,” said CITF head Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said he had already ordered the regional director of Central Visayas why Hortozulela was still allowed to go on duty despite the cases he was facing.
It was learned that Hortozuela has two arrest warrants for various offenses. He is also reportedly facing administrative cases.
Since its inception in February last year, the CITF has arrested more 70 policemen for various offenses, mostly drug-related extortion rackets. (With a report from Aaron Recuenco)