2 killed, 11 arrested in drug war

At least two persons were killed and 11 others arrested in Metro Manila since Thursday night as the government continued its war on illegal drugs.

A 46-year-old woman alleged to be Caloocan’s “drug queen” and her partner were gunned down in Barangay 171 at around 10 p.m. Thursday.

Edna Umali and Luisito Bandola, 45, were riding their motorcycle when two men on another motorcycle stopped them.

Witnesses said they saw the men talking to the victims before shots rang out. Umali and Bandola died at the scene.

Investigators recovered nine spent shells from 9mm and .45 caliber pistols.

Senior Inspector Adonis Escanilla, officer-in-charge of Police Community Precinct 6, said they have information that the victims were reportedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

“Bandola was the one getting the drugs from their supplier and Umali was the distributor,” he said.

Probers recovered more than P9,000 cash and a fake P1,000 bill from the victims but no illegal drugs.

Motel bust

Ten men were arrested during a drug bust at a motel in Quezon City before dawn yesterday.

The suspects were arrested in Room 434 of the Lykes Hotel in Barangay E. Rodriguez Sr. at around 3:45 a.m.

Anti-narcotics police said they found that the suspects ingested methamphetamine hydrochloride, better known as shabu, through intravenous injection instead of smoking.

Police identified the targets of the sting as Marco Paulo Cruz, 24; Roseller Belleza, 30; Jhon Paul Mallari, 24; and Darcy Mendoza.

Cruz was supposedly the maintainer of the drug den while the others assisted him in the operation.

The “clients” who were caught in the motel room were identified as Glen Llamita, 25; Jovani Guimeroy, 32; Hyan Rey Ilaguison, 30; Dan Harold Quintos, 26; Jovir Agpoon, 28; and Mark Anthony Grechen, 30.

The Quezon City Police District’s Drug Enforcement Unit said the suspects experienced a much faster “high” by dissolving pulverized shabu in sterile water and injecting it in the inner elbow vein.

Aside from the immediate high, this method supposedly requires less preparation and drug paraphernalia, police said.

A total of 35 sachets said to contain shabu, worth an estimated P100,000, syringes, drug paraphernalia, a cell phone and marked money were recovered at the crime scene.

In Pasig City, suspected drug dealer Noli Macabenta was arrested in a sting along Lanzones Extension in Barangay Manggahan at around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Macabenta, whom police said is included in the list of alleged pushers in the city, yielded four sachets of an undetermined quantity of shabu.