Rody visits wake of slain Bulacan anti-drug cop

MALOLOS – President Duterte visited the wake yesterday of Police Officer 3 Ronaldo Legaspi who was killed in a shootout with a drug suspect in a sting in Norzagaray, Bulacan on Sunday.

Rolando Padura, alias Jay Ar, shot Legaspi when he sensed he had sold shabu to an undercover agent in Barangay Tigbe.

The President gave an undisclosed amount of financial assistance to the family of Legaspi and posthumously awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the rank of Kalasag to the police officer, Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, said.

The award is conferred on those who die while pursuing a campaign or advocacy of the President.

Duterte was accompanied by Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go and Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

Corpus said the Central Luzon police had earlier given P100,000 in cash assistance to the family of Legaspi. Superintendent Gerardo Andaya confirmed to The STAR that he was relieved as Norzagaray police chief following Legaspi’s death.

14 drug suspects held

Meanwhile, 14 suspected drug pushers, two of them “high-value” targets, were arrested in Bulacan, Maguindanao, Abra and Albay in the past two days.

Nine were collared in stings in San Jose del Monte, Plaridel, Bocaue and Balagtas in Bulacan. They reportedly yielded 35 sachets of shabu.

Kutin Guiannel, 52, and his wife Jenny yielded P100,000 worth of shabu and an unlicensed 9mm pistol during a raid on their residence in Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, police said.

The couple are on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s list of top 20 drug suspects in Maguindanao.

Love Joy Bergonia and Gerald Bose were arrested in raids in San Juan, Abra, and Jay-ar Ceneta, alias Palaad, in Barangay San Jose, Tabaco, Albay.