3 drug suspects, cop slain in shootouts
Three alleged drug pushers and a policeman were killed in separate encounters in Caloocan City and Manila since Thursday night.
In Caloocan, Police Community Precinct 3 personnel received information that alleged pushers Jayson dela Cruz, alias “Killer,” and Mart Ian Herrera were seen along Paraiso street in Sampaguita Subdivision, Barangay 175.
A source said the two suspects were about to remit their proceeds to their supplier.
The suspects shot at the police officers who arrived in the area at around 12:09 a.m. Police Officer 3 Junio Hilario, 36, was hit in the initial volley, prompting his colleagues to shoot Dela Cruz.
Hilario died while being treated at the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Hospital in Tala at around 6:20 a.m.
Herrera, who escaped, was seen near the Barugo police station in the same barangay at around 4 a.m. Police officers killed him in another alleged shootout.
Probers recovered a .45 caliber pistol, a .38 caliber revolver, seven sachets of shabu, two digital weighing scales and drug paraphernalia from the two suspects.
Hilario’s death shows that drug suspects are indeed fighting police officers, Chief Inspector Ilustre Mendoza, Caloocan police investigation chief, said.
In Manila, Gerlito Daculapas, alias “Negro,” 28, was killed in an alleged shootout during a drug sting at the LRC Compound in Sta. Cruz Thursday night.
He died from three gunshot wounds at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center just before 9 p.m.
A .38 caliber revolver and two sachets said to contain shabu were recovered from Daculapas and bullet casings – one from a .38 caliber revolver and three from a 9mm pistol – were found at the crime scene.