A Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operative and a suspected high-value drug target were killed while three Philippine Marines were wounded after a joint anti-illegal drug operation erupted into a gunbattle in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, early Sunday, August 9, 2026.
The deadly encounter unfolded in Sitio Mapanbubu, Barangay Paniongan, where PDEA-BARMM agents, Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 (MBLT-4) personnel and police units were conducting an entrapment operation against a group allegedly involved in the trafficking and distribution of shabu.
Initial reports placed the operation at around 1:30 a.m., while a separate police account said the operation and ensuing encounter were reported at about 6 a.m. Authorities were still gathering information to establish the precise sequence and timing of events.
PDEA agent killed in line of duty
The slain PDEA operative was identified in initial reports as PDEA Intelligence Officer I Enfernie Jim Dayag, 29, who was reportedly from the Cordillera Administrative Region and had roots in Baguio City.
Dayag was killed during the operation as government forces attempted to carry out the planned drug entrapment. Authorities said the operation turned violent when armed men allegedly opened fire on the government team, triggering an exchange of gunfire.
Dayag’s death brought a particularly heavy cost to the anti-illegal drug campaign, cutting short the career of a young government officer who had answered the call to public service only two years earlier.
He joined the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in 2024 after completing his criminology studies at the University of Baguio, where he graduated in 2021. Records from the Professional Regulation Commission also showed that Dayag took the Criminologist Licensure Examination in Baguio in December 2021 and was among those who successfully passed the examination.
In Baguio City, the Saint Louis School of Pacdal, Inc. (SLSPI) community mourned the death of Dayag, its former student and member of Batch 2015, remembering him as a dedicated public servant who gave his life in the line of duty.
In a statement honoring their former student, the school said Dayag continued his education at the University of Baguio after graduating from SLP and pursued the path of a criminologist before joining PDEA in 2024.
The school described his journey from the halls of Saint Louis School of Pacdal to government service as one marked by courage, dedication and a commitment to a greater purpose.
“His service in the fight against illegal drugs came with risks and sacrifices,” the school said, emphasizing that his dedication to protecting the Filipino people would be remembered with honor.
The SLSPI community also extended its condolences and prayers to Dayag’s bereaved family, friends, colleagues and loved ones.
The school concluded its tribute by honoring him as a fellow Louisian whose service and sacrifice would not be forgotten.
Dayag’s death underscores the dangers faced by law enforcement personnel involved in anti-drug operations, particularly when operations target armed groups suspected of being involved in the illegal drug trade.
Drug target also killed
The main target of the operation was identified as Jimhar Jawadil, alias “Boss M,” who authorities described as a high-value target and a former member of the Abu Sayyaf Group who had surrendered to the government.
Jawadil was among those targeted in the buy-bust operation and was killed during the ensuing armed confrontation. Authorities said another gunman who attacked government forces was also killed, although initial reports varied in their description of the identities of those killed.
The operation reportedly began as a controlled drug transaction intended to apprehend members of the suspected trafficking group. Instead, armed companions of the targets allegedly fired assault rifles at the government team from nearby houses after realizing that the supposed transaction was part of an entrapment operation.
The gunfire forced the PDEA agents, Marines and police personnel to engage the attackers, turning the drug operation into a deadly firefight.
Marine commander among three wounded
Three members of the Philippine Marines were wounded in the encounter, including Lt. Col. Richard Malabanan, commander of the Marine unit involved in the operation.
Also wounded were Cpl. Gideon Buenaventura and Cpl. Levie Lumay, both from MBLT-4.
Malabanan reportedly sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was immediately evacuated by a Philippine Air Force team to a hospital in Zamboanga City for further treatment.
The condition of the wounded Marines was not fully detailed in the initial reports, although authorities confirmed that they were receiving medical attention.
More than 250 grams of suspected shabu seized
Despite the deadly confrontation, authorities recovered a significant quantity of suspected illegal drugs from the operation.
Initial reports placed the seized substance at approximately 256 grams of suspected shabu, while an initial PDEA report cited approximately 270 grams, with a reported standard drug price of around ₱1.836 million.
The drug seizure is expected to form a major part of the evidence in the case involving alleged violations of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, covering the sale and possession of dangerous drugs.
Firearms, ammunition recovered
The operation also resulted in the recovery of several firearms and ammunition, underscoring the heavily armed nature of the group authorities were attempting to arrest.
Among the reported evidence seized were:
- One KG-9 submachine gun with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition;
- One M1 Garand with 221 rounds of ammunition;
- Four .45-caliber pistols with 19 rounds of ammunition;
- Four Android mobile phones;
- Various identification cards; and
- Four pairs of scissors.
Authorities said the firearms and ammunition would also be subjected to investigation, with suspects potentially facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition aside from violations of the anti-drug law.
Suspects escape; joint manhunt launched
Several suspected members of the group managed to escape during the firefight.
Those initially identified by authorities were Antonio Jawadil, Nasser Jawadil and Abon Jawadil, along with two other individuals whose identities had not yet been established.
A joint police and military manhunt was subsequently launched across the area as authorities moved to locate the fleeing suspects.
Police and military units in Tawi-Tawi were coordinating the pursuit, while investigators continued processing the scene and gathering evidence to establish the full circumstances of the encounter.
Investigation continues
The Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region said the Bongao Municipal Police Station was still gathering additional information regarding the incident and awaiting reports from the units directly involved in the operation.
The circumstances surrounding the exchange of gunfire, including the exact sequence of events and the individual roles of those involved, remain under investigation.
What began as an operation aimed at disrupting an alleged drug trafficking network in Tawi-Tawi ultimately became a deadly confrontation, leaving a young PDEA intelligence officer dead, a high-value target killed, three Marines wounded and several armed suspects still at large.
The recovery of hundreds of grams of suspected shabu and an assortment of firearms and ammunition has placed the operation among the more significant anti-illegal drug actions reported in Tawi-Tawi, while the continuing manhunt is expected to determine whether the remaining suspects can be arrested and brought before the courts.