North, Central Luzon drug casualties pile up

Cops kill 2 men in La Trinidad ‘shoot-out’ 

Bodies of drug suspects continued to pile up in Northern and Central Luzon last week.

Gary Vergara, 34, a drug surrenderee, was killed in Barangay Luyang in Bayombong Thursday.

In Benguet, Jerry Toda and Alan Lorenzano were slain by cops after they allegedly drew their guns when they sensed they had sold shabu to undercover agents during a sting in Barangay Lower Tomay in La Trinidad at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

A .38-caliber revolver, a caliber .45 pistol, five sachets of shabu and a sachet of marijuana were recovered from the fatalities, police said.

Mark Leo Lansang, 28, allegedly traded shots with police during a sting in Barangay Pampang in Angeles City, Pampanga. He reportedly yielded a .38-caliber revolver, a sachet of shabu and P16,000 in cash.

Leonardo Aquino, alias Nardo, fired at police officers who posed as buyers of shabu in an anti-drug operation in Barangay Taal in Bocaue, Bulacan before dawn Thursday.

Meanwhile, village councilor Julio Galvan, alleged to be a “high-value” drug pusher, was wounded in a gun attack in Barangay Santiago in Bauang, La Union on Wednesday night.

Galvan was taken to the Bethany Hospital in San Fernando City for treatment, said Chief Insp. Silverio Ordinado Jr., La Union police spokesman.

Initial investigation showed unidentified men barged into the suspect’s house and shot him several times.

Manolo Mercado, Jojo delos Santos, Raymond Condez and Ryan Gonzales were arrested in in Bocaue, Bulacan Wednesday.

In Quirino, public school teacher Milmore Nagtalon, 37, was arrested during a sting at his school in Barangay Magsaysay in Diffun town on Wednesday. 


Michael Rosario, alias Bong, was collared during a raid on his residence in Barangay Pit-ao in San Clemente, Tarlac.

Jessie Dulay, 42, were nabbed in  Cayambanan, Urdaneta, Wednesday.

In Pampanga, Edwin Reyes, a resident of Barangay Malabanias in Angeles City, died in an alleged shootout with police in Barangay Lourdes.

Senior Supt. Sidney Villaflor, Angeles City police director, said Reyes drew his gun when he sensed that he had sold shabu to a policeman who posed as a buyer.

Villaflor said the fatality yielded a .38-caliber revolver and ammunition as well as seven sachets of shabu.

In Bulacan, a man who has yet to be identified was found dead in Barangay Caingin in San Rafael town. The body bore a placard identifying him as a drug pusher.

In Ilocos Sur, Alberto Tomas, councilor of Barangay 43-Cavit in Laoag City, and his wife Imelda were arrested in a sting on Monday.

In Pangasinan,  Abaraham Catalon, 25, was arrested during a raid on their residence in Barangay Lipay in Villasis town on Tuesday.

Catalon was ranked third on the town’s drug watchlist, police said.

Florybel Paa, 33, was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-riding men in Barangay Purok Bassit in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur Monday. 


Chief Insp. Greg Guerrero, Ilocos Sur police spokesman, said Paa, who surrendered under Oplan Tokhang recently, was in front of her house when she was shot at around 7:30 a.m.

Napoleon Manaois, 34, was shot dead in Barangay Biec in Binmaley, Pangasinan at around 8:20 a.m. also Monday.

Initial investigation showed Manaois was driving his Toyota Fortuner on his way to the Regional Trial Court Branch 39 in Lingayen to attend a hearing of a case for illegal drugs filed against him when he was fired at.

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

Police said Manaois was the top drug personality in Binmaley.

Three drug suspects tagged in a series of robberies were killed in an alleged firefight with police officers in Tarlac City, while another was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men in Nueva Vizcaya on Sept. 25.

Probers have yet to verify the identities of the slain suspects, who were allegedly on the drug list of the city police, according to Tarlac police acting director Senior Superintendent Westrimundo Obinque.

A village official informed the police about the presence of three armed men in a school compound in Barangay Aguso Monday morning.

The armed men allegedly shot at the responding police officers, triggering a firefight that resulted in their deaths.

Police recovered from the scene of the encounter two .38 caliber revolvers, two plastic sachets said to contain shabu, bullet shells, a motorcycle, two DVD players, two computer printers, a computer monitor and an amplifier.

Obinque said the suspects reportedly robbed several schools in Tarlac.

Meanwhile, in Nueva Vizcaya, Frats Winter Tan, 38, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men in Bambang town on Sept. 23.

Tan ranked sixth on the drug list of the provincial police before he surrendered to police officers during Oplan Tokhang, according to Chief Inspector Rafael Cabonatilla, Bambang police chief.

Tan was talking to a friend when he was shot in Barangay Buag. He was declared dead on arrival at the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital.

Cabonatilla said Tan allegedly continued with his illegal drug activity even after he surrendered to police.

Tan was the second drug suspect to be killed in Bambang and fifth  in the province since July 1.

A drug suspect was killed while three others were arrested in separate stings in Angeles City on Sept. 23

Jordan Cuartelon, 34, reportedly tried to escape after sensing that he was dealing with undercover agents.

Cuartelon reportedly shot at pursuing police officers, triggering a firefight that resulted in his death, according to city police chief Senior Superintendent Sidney Villaflor.

Police recovered an improvised shotgun, five plastic sachets said to contain shabu and marked money from Cuartelon.

Meanwhile, Ariel Yanga, 49; Adrian Troy Sandig, 28, and Edmond Calaguas, 32, yielded several plastic sachets said to contain shabu and marked money in a sting staged by a team of police officers and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

In Pangasinan, eight drug suspects were arrested in separate police operations early last week.

Two of the suspects were identified as construction worker Sammy Duque, 35, of  Agno town, and Nombraida Sabpa, 44, of Manaoag.

Police said Duque and Sabpa ranked 16th and 14th, respectively on the drug lists of their town’s police office.

Police recovered a plastic sachet said to contain shabu from Duque and three from Sabpa.

Aside from the suspects, arrested were Jonathan Morales, 39, of Basista; Jojo Garces, 38, of Tayug; Rufino Yu, 35, who was caught in Mapandan; Ramil Lorenzo, 38, of Malasiqui; Lito Salon, 45, of Tayug, and Allan de Vera, 40, of Calasiao.

In Ilocos Norte, a village councilman who earlier surrendered to authorities during the conduct of Oplan Tokhang was wounded in an attack on his home in Banna town night of Sept. 22.

Alwin Acosta, 41, was taken to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac City for treatment of gunshot wounds, according to Chief Insp. Dexter Corpuz, spokesman for the provincial police.

Acosta’s daughter Krizha Angelie Acosta, 22, suffered a bullet wound in the knee.

In Quirino, Jay-ar Tobias, 30, who was on bail for drug charges, was collared in a drug sting in Barangay Rizal, Diffun.

The suspect yielded two plastic sachets said to contain shabu. – With reports from Ric Sapnu, Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez, Raymund Catindig