Body count up in North, Central Luzon drug ‘war’

MORE ILLEGAL DRUG  suspects were killed in northern and Central Luzon last week.

Six were slain by suspected vigilantes in Pangasinan Wednesday and on Tuesday night.

Supt. Neil Miro, Dagupan City police officer-in-charge, identified five of the fatalities as Salvador Bulatao, alias Magnu; Jimbo Callanta, alias Robin; Ramil Jimenez, Eddie Meneses and Joseph Tuates.

Miro said the slain men were on drug watch lists of Barangays Pogo Chico, Pantal and Salisay.

“This could be a handiwork of a group that is possibly fed up with people involved in illegal drugs,” he said. “We do not condone such killings and we will do our best efforts to get to the bottom of this.”

     Mervin Casaclang, 47, was waiting for his daughter at a day care center in Barangay Tonton in Lingayen town when he was shot.

Lamberto Villa, 41, chairman of Barangay Tayambani in San Carlos City, was killed in a shootout with policemen during a raid on his house at around 4:50 a.m. yesterday, said Supt. Nestor Cusi, city police officer-in-charge.

Cusi said Villa was the leader of the Dawes drug ring and the most wanted drug personality in San Carlos.

He said a caliber. 45 pistol as well as ammunition of various calibers, 35 sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia were seized during the raid.

Dexter Sumbili, alias Tengteng, and Manolito Teodoro, alias Palisok, were killed in a sting in Norzagaray, Bulacan before dawn Wednesday.

The suspects drew their guns when they sensed they had sold shabu to undercover agents, said Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director.

Caramat said two .38-caliber revolvers and three sachets of shabu were recovered from the fatalities.

In Angeles City, Pampanga, Prince Viray and Rodolfo Mercado, 57, were killed in a reported shootout with police on Tuesday.

Senior Supt. Sidney Villaflor, Angeles City police director, said the fatalities yielded two guns and three sachets of shabu.

Laborer Edmund Tungpalan, 37, was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in front of his house in Barangay Poblacion West, Flora, Apayao on Tuesday. 
Police said Tungpalan was on the drug watchlist of the town.

Osias Dada-an, 36, who surrendered under Oplan Tokhang recently, was gunned down at a billiard hall in Barangay Pico in La Trinidad, Benguet also on Tuesday.

Angelito Quaimbao and Ariel Malabuyoc were slain in a shootout with anti-drug operatives in Barangay Daan Sarile in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, police said.

Two .38-caliber revolvers and eight sachets of shabu were recovered from the fatalities, police said.

In La Union, Albrando Plabusay, 40, was slain in an alleged encounter with policemen during a raid on his residence in Barangay Upper San Agustin in Bauang town yesterday.

Chief Inspector Siverio Ordinado Jr., La Union police information officer, said Plabusay was ranked ninth on the drug watchlist of Pugo town.

Zenaida Alcantara, 42, was shot dead in Barangay Ubbog-Lipcan in Bangued, Abra on Tuesday.

In Ilocos Norte, Senior Police Officer 1 Perfecto Mike Joaquin, 45, was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in front of his house in Barangay 20 in San Nicolas town Monday.

Senior Inspector Joseph de la Cruz, San Nicolas police chief, said Joaquin was under investigation for his alleged links with drug pushers.

Initial investigation showed Joaquin had just arrived from his duty in Adams town when he was shot at around 7:30 a.m.  He died while being treated at Black Nazarene Hospital. 


Paulino Tejada, 48, was shot dead near a restaurant in Barangay Poblacion Este in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur on Sept. 18. Senior Insp. Mark Lagman, Sta. Cruz police chief, said Tejada was pronounced dead on arrival at the Sta. Lucia District Hospital.

Four bullet shells for a .45-caliber pistol were recovered at the scene.

        Lagman said the fatality surrendered under Oplan Tokhang in July.

A man identified only as Hadji was killed in a reported shootout with police in Barangay Sta. Trinidad in Angeles City, Pampanga before dawn Monday.

Senior Supt. Sidney Villaflor, Angeles City police director, said the fatality was a known drug personality in the area.

A .22-caliber revolver and two sachets of shabu were allegedly recovered from the fatality.