DAVAO CITY: Five drug suspects were shot dead in separate incidents here over a 24-hour period, two days after Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte declared a war on drugs.

"If you do not leave, I will kill you," Duterte warned drug dealers and users during the turnover of command ceremony for the new city police director Col. Richard Bad-ang on Friday.

Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte. Contributed Photo

Speaking in the vernacular, he echoed his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, saying: "We cannot afford our families, community to be destroyed for your selfish venture. You just want to be rich by selling drugs and destroying other people's lives because of your greediness."

He said he had received several complaints from barangay captains, especially those in densely populated areas, about rampant drug activities in their respective communities.

Duterte urged barangay captains to help the authorities combat illegal drugs in their areas.

In all five deaths, police said the suspects fought back.

At dawn on Saturday, March 23, anti-drug officers from Buhangin Police Station launched a buy-bust against the No. 1 drug suspect in the city.

Police said Sherwin Familiar, armed with a.38 revolver, was shot dead in an exchange of gunfire.

Shortly after that, two other drug suspects — aliases Larry and Ngay — also died in shootouts with police.

On Sunday dawn, March 24, Tugbok Police had an encounter with alias "Timoy," another drug suspect, shooting him dead. He was also armed with a.38 revolver.

At 4:05 p.m. on the same day, intelligence personnel of the Sta. Ana Police Station and the City Drug Enforcement Unit conducted a joint buy-bust operation and killed Emmanuel Avila, alias "Ime," said to be a "high-value" target.

Police said they found 53.79 grams of suspected shabu valued at P365,772 and a.38 revolver.

Newly installed DCPO chief Bad-ang said their campaign would focus on big-time drug suppliers, and they will operate within the bounds of the law.

Bad-ang said they will also continue to work with barangay leaders and intelligence personnel to identify and arrest those involved in illegal drug activities.

"Definitely, we will talk with the barangay. We'll direct my policemen to talk with barangay captains and intelligence personnel to dig deeper to find out where these drugs come from," Bad-ang said.

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