More drug suspects shot dead in Northern Luzon

MORE drug personalities were shot by police and suspected vigilantes in separate incidents in North and Central Luzon last week.

             Ilocos Sur

In Ilocos Sur, Robert de la Cruz, an alleged member of the Tengsico-Cabreros drug ring operating in Ilocos Sur was shot dead after attending a barangay assembly in Sabangan in Santiago town on Wednesday. 


Chief Insp. James Patrick Calibuso, Santiago police chief, said De la Cruz surrendered under Oplan Tokhang recently, but did not stop selling illegal drugs.

Purisimo Dante Francisco Jr., 46, chairman of Barangay 3 in Vigan City, was driving his tricycle on his way to visit his family in Barangay Calabanginan when unidentified motorcycle-riding men opened fire Wednesday night.

The victim was reportedly a witness to a murder case filed against suspected drug addicts in his barangay.

Meanwhile, an alleged top drug trafficker in Vigan City, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men in Barangay Bagani Campo on Oct. 22.

Jason Toquero, 33, of Barangay Patpata, was in a car when one of two assailants shot him, according to city police chief Supt. Reynaldo Lizardo.

Probers recovered nine bullet shells at the crime scene.

Lizardo said Toquero, who earlier surrendered to authorities during the conduct of Oplan Tokhang in their village, ranked second on the drug list of the city police.

Baguio City

In Baguio City, July Day Manarang, 32, was critically wounded in a gun attack in front of a machine shop in Bokawkan road on Tuesday night.  Police said the victim is a suspected drug pusher.

Nueva Vizcaya

Meanwhile, more ”high-value” pushers  and other drug personalities were arrested in the past three days.

Armando Meneses, 42, a missionary, was arrested in a sting in Barangay Roxas, Solano, Nueva Vizcaya on Tuesday. 


Chief Inspector Billy Mangali, Solano police chief, said the suspect is on the drug watchlist of the provincial police.

Pangasinan

In Pangasinan, five barangays in Dagupan City have been declared drug-free.

Supt. Neil Miro, city police chief, identified the barangays as Mamalingling, Salisay, Pogo Grande, Tebeng and Mangin.

Miro said he is confident that at least 80 percent of their barangays will be cleared of drugs before the end of the year.

Severino Pascua, alias Jong, a resident of Barangay Asan Sur in Sison town drew his gun and fled in a red Mitsubishi Adventure when he sensed that he had sold shabu to undercover agents in Barangay Poblacion 5 in Villasis, Pangasinan at around 12:05 a.m. on Tuesday, police said.

Pascua was collared at a checkpoint in Barangay Unsad, triggering a gunfight with police officers.

Pedro San Jose, 44, reportedly engaged police officers in a shootout during a sting in Barangay Del Rosario in Pili town on Monday.

Sachets of shabu, guns and ammunition were recovered from the fatalities, police said.

Felizardo Claridad, 40, alias Burnok, and Rudy Padilla, 23, residents of Barangay Poblacion East in Sta. Maria, Pangasinan, were riding a motorcycle when unidentified men in a white van with no license plates fired at them Monday.

They were pronounced dead on arrival at the Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital.

Romeo Belbis, 50, with aliases of Romy and Manok, was cleaning the tomb of his relatives at the Urdaneta City Catholic cemetery when he was shot.

Boyet Geronimo, chairman of Barangay Potiocan in Malasiqui, was arrested during a sting in Barangay Bolaoit. 

Senior Supt. Ronald Lee, Pangasinan police acting director, said a sachet of shabu and P500 in cash were recovered from the suspect.

Supt. Roland Sacyat, Malasiqui police chief, said Geronimo is a “high-value” drug target, who surrendered under Oplan Tokhang on Aug. 3, but did not stop his illegal activities.

Isabela

Meanwhile, the bodies of two Chinese men who were killed in an alleged shootout with police operatives during a raid on a shabu laboratory in Cauayan City, Isabela on Oct. 23 have yet to be claimed.

Supt. Ariel Quilang, Cauayan police chief, said he provided security to bodies of Kim Punzalan Uy and Cangbo Shien from Fujian, China  to prevent any attempt to smuggle them out of the mortuary.

Derrick Carreon, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director for information, said they have yet to file cases in connection with the raid.

Bulacan

An alias Monmon was slain in a reported shootout with police during a sting in Barangay Bitungol, Norzagaray, Bulacan at around 1:45 a.m. Thursday.

Police said the fatality was on the barangay drug watchlist.

A caliber .38 revolver, two sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia were reportedly recovered from the fatality.

Angelo dela Rama, alias Buknoy, allegedly shot it out with a police officer who posed as a buyer of shabu in a sting in Barangay Minuyan in Lancelot Kaacbay and a man who has yet to be identified were found dead in Barangay Makinabang in Baliuag, Bulacan Wednesday.

Their faces were covered with packing tape and their bodies bore a piece of cardboard identifying them as drug pushers.

Edwin Bernardo was shot dead by unidentified men  in Barangay Ilang-Ilang in Guiguinto also in Bulacan Wednesday.

Police said the fatalities were on the drug watchlist in their barangays.

San Jose del Monte City on Wednesday. 

His six cohorts, who were arrested, yielded 14 sachets of shabu with an estimated street value of P16,000, police said.

Reynaldo Lomidao, alias Rey Malaya, was shot dead along MacArthur highway in Barangay Poblacion in Marilao town on Monday.

Three bullet shells for a caliber .45 pistol and a piece of cardboard identifying the fatality as a drug pusher were recovered at the scene.

Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director, said the fatality was a known drug pusher and user in his barangay. --- Ric Sapnu, Raymund Catindig, Eva Visperas, Efren Lazaro