10 more drug suspects see end of days
Ten more drug suspects who kept on the road to perdition have seen the last of their days over the weekend, as the war on drugs waged by the Duterte administration saw no signs of let up from the police or even alleged “vigilantes” in Luzon.
4 die in La Union In La Union, the barangay chairman of Ilocanos Norte, San Fernando City, was gunned down inside his house by still unidentified gunmen. His live-in partner and nephew were not spared.
Superintendent Bryant Demot, San Fernando City police chief, said Barangay Chairman Audy Flores, 52, was the No.1 drug personality in the province, while his live-in partner Renalyn Munar, 34, was listed No. 8 in the drug watchlist of the city.
The assailants also killed his nephew Medelito Flores, 35, who was with them in the house at the time of the attack at 9 p.m. Sunday.
In Luna town, La Union, Aris Acosta, 32, who was listed as the No. 1 alleged drug dealer in the town was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
Police said Acosta had previously surrendered to authorities, but allegedly continued on the road to perdition after pledging to stop dealing drugs.
Ilocos Sur purging
In Ilocos Sur, two suspected drug personalities were also shot dead by suspected vigilantes – one in front of a public market and the other inside his house last Sunday.
Chief Inspector Greg Guerrero, Police Provincial Office (PPO) spokesman, said Norman Locquiao, a known drug user, was shot dead by a man armed with a Carbine .30-caliber rifle inside his house in Barangay Nalasin, Santiago town.
The attack happened at 5:40 a.m. and the triggerman fled on board a waiting van, Guerrero said.
Later that day at 5 p.m., suspected drug pusher Allan Villegas was shot at close range and killed by a still unidentified gunman in front of the public market in Barangay Bagunero, Sto. Domingo town. Guerrero assured both incidents are being investigated by the local police.
4 more in ’Gapo In Olongapo City, Zambales, police reported the killing of four alleged drug pushers.
Rodolfo Santillan was killed when he allegedly shot at two arresting officers who were serving a warrant to search his house in Barangay New Cabalan for drugs and unlicensed firearms last Saturday. Four sachets of “shabu” were found in his house.
Rommel R. Palma, of Foster Street, Barangay Kababae, was also in a separate encounter with police at 3 a.m. Sunday. Palma allegedly pointed his gun at police that had entrapped him for peddling drugs.
Two other suspected drug pushers turned up dead yesterday near the Olongapo City lighthouse and at Gordon Heights. Police have not yet released its investigation on the two cases.
N. Ecija drug lord In Nueva Ecija, police scored big with the arrest of the alleged No. 1 drug suspect in Cabanatuan City – Candido Bernabe, 56, alias “Canding.”
Supt. Ponciano P. Zafra, city police chief, said Bernabe, who yielded 1500 worth of shabu, was arrested at the Ortiz Apartment in Barangay Bantug Norte, following a weeklong of surveillance operation.
“We recovered from the suspect 29 plastic sachets of suspected shabu weighing 250 grams with a street value of 1500,000, a cal. .45 pistol, a fragmentation grenade, several ammunition for assorted guns, eight cellphones, cash, other drug paraphernalia and motorcycle plate,” said Zafra.
8 fall in OrMin
Eight persons were arrested when police swooped down on ten houses in a barangay known as a drug lair in Socorro town, Oriental Mindoro, early Saturday morning.
Senior Superintendent Florendo C. Quibuyen, Oriental Mindoro PPO director, said the suspects were arrested by virtue of search warrants issued by Judge Harry D. Jaminola of Regional Trial Court Branch 41.
He identified them as Rowell R. Monton, 36; Lamberto G. Monton, 60; Jojo D. Camo, 39; Brendo D. Lucero, 34; Eric L. Casas, 37; William D. Camo, 36; Michael J. Castillo, 32, all of Barangay Matungao, Socorro; and Jay-Ar R. Carandang, 29, of Barangay Lapog. They either yielded drugs or firearms or both.
Naga reformation
After surrendering to authorities, 409 self-confessed drug dependents in Naga City, Camarines Sur, underwent a values formation seminar over the weekend.
Wanting to lead new lives, these men and women who have been hooked on drugs will now be involved in the upcoming Penafrancia Fiesta activities such as the Traslacion and the fluvial processions as volunteers under the Cofradia de San Jose, a group that is active in the mobilization of volunteer voyadores every fiesta time in September. (With reports from Sheen Crisologo, Mar T. Supnad, Jerry J. Alcayde, and Sarah C. Imperial)