More killed in Northern, Central Luzon drug war

THE BODY COUNT increased as more illegal drugs personalities were killed or arrested in Northern and Central Luzon.  

Rodel Cuntapay, chairman of Barangay Sta. Cruz in Gonzaga, Cagayan, was driving his tricycle in Barangay Centro West, Sta. Teresita, when motorcycle-riding men shot him on Wednesday.

Marvin Ilaw was closing his bakery in Barangay San Jose, Baggao, Cagayan when a man on a motorcycle arrived and shot him in the head.

Poultry dealer and former village councilman Villamor Abella was having coffee with his wife at their house in Barangay Nagalisan, Solana, Cagayan when unidentified men entered and shot him in the head.

In Nueva Vizcaya, Alein Pimentel, 46, was drinking liquor with his friends in front of a store in Barangay Munguia, Dupax del Norte when he was shot. His son Ian Jay, 26, was shot dead when he tried to help his father.

Except for Ian Jay, the fatalities were drug surrenderees and on the drug watchlist in their areas, police said.

Jonathan Bagamaspad, 49, a resident of Barangay Bungcag, Dingras, Ilocos Norte, was in a Honda Jazz with Rollo Corpuz, 46, of San Vicente, Sarrat when they were waylaid when they reached  Barangay 50 Buttong, Laoag City also on Wednesday. 

Bagamaspad died while being treated at the Laoag City General Hospital. Corpuz was wounded and taken to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.

Police records show Bagamaspad, who was ranked seventh on the drug watchlist in Ilocos Norte, was a co-accused of former Dingras mayor Marianeth Gamboa in the killing of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative president Lorenzo Rey Ruiz in 2009. 

Four reportedly shot it out with anti-drug operatives in Barangays Diliman and Maronquillo in San Rafael and Sta. Cruz, Guiguinto in Bulacan Thursday.

Leo Valdez, alias Ula; Michael Cabanggunay, alias Tupeng; Bryan Concepcion and an alias Jas yielded guns, shabu and drug paraphernalia, said Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Bulacan police acting director.

Three more drug suspects and two other men were shot dead in separate incidents in Luzon early last week.

Jomer Bucarile, a resident of Barangay District 3, Cauayan, and Angelito Castillo, 49, councilman of Barangay Centro Dos, Mallig in Isabela, were driving their tricycles when shot by unidentified men in sport utility vehicles May 28 and 29, respectively.

Efren Pabiona, a resident of Barangay Baligatan, Ilagan also in Isabela, drew his gun when he sensed he had sold shabu to undercover agents in Barangay Guinatan on Friday.

Police said the fatalities were on the drug watchlists in their barangays and surrendered under Oplan Tokhang last year.

Meanwhile, police have yet to determine if the killing of farmer Walter Pascion, 32, in Barangay Kita-Kita, Balungao, Pangasinan on May 26 was drug-related.

A man in a white van without license plates shot the victim.

Habal-habal driver Carl Bulalacao was in Barangay Luy-a, Aroroy, Masbate when motorcycle-riding men shot him several times. He died at the scene.

Twenty-three other drug suspects were arrested on May 26, 15 of them in Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.

At least 53 sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia, a weighing scale, marked money, a .22-caliber revolver and an improvised gun were recovered from the suspects, according to police reports.

Two women were arrested in Barangay Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan for alleged possession of 105 grams of shabu estimated to cost over P400,000. Police said one of the suspects got the drugs from a detainee at the Bulacan provincial jail.   – Raymund Catindig, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Ric Sapnu