77 Central Luzon cops linked to drugs dispatched to Mindanao
CAMP JULIAN OLIVAS, Pampanga — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa recently confirmed the relief and transfer of 77 Central Luzon police officers to different assignment areas in Mindanao.
Dela Rosa said the 77 police officers, mostly assigned in Bulacan and Pampanga have been linked to illegal drug activities.
One of those transferred to Mindanao was recently killed in an encounter, although Dela Rosa did not identify the casualty or the place of the incident.
To serve and protect During the 115th Police Service anniversary celebration here, the PNP chief admitted that the government's campaign against illegal drugs will be beefed up if the PNP is successful, in cleansing its won ranks.
"The organization has been shamed too many times already because our fellow police officers who swore to serve and protect [our countrymen], have been doing otherwise. Thus, whoever in the organization will be proven to be involved in illegal drugs will receive the sanction they deserve,” Dela Rosa cautioned.
He reiterated his call for policemen to stop the illegal activities, stressing he will be their worst enemy if found they are into it (drugs).
Foul! The PNP's move to transfer erring police officers or those with suspected links to lawless activities from Luzon to Mindanao, however, has been opposed by some lawmakers, including Zamboanga First District Rep. Celso Lobregat.
Lobregat said transferring relieved policemen due to drugs to Mindanao including Zamboanga is not the solution to the problem in the PNP organization.
Moving the rogue policemen involved in illegal drugs to the region will also paint a bad image to the organization they represent there.
Already, several policemen in different regions who were relieved from their post due to illegal drug use or illegal drugs transactions were either sent to Basilan, Zamboanga, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi among others as their sanction for violating their task to serve and protect the citizenry.
Cavite chase The Cavite Police Provincial Office launched a manhunt for a village chief who eluded law enforcement authorities during an anti-illegal drugs operation before dawn yesterday in Barangay Datu Esmael, Dasmariñas City.
Senior Superintendent Arthur V. Bisnar, PPO acting director, ordered the manhunt for Barangay Chairman Dirimpasun Unti Pangandag following the operation.
Pangandag was the target of the 4:30 a.m. operation that was conducted by PPO intelligence operatives and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) men.
Supt. Gil Tisado Torralba, chief of S-2 (PPO-Intelligence Branch), tagged Pangandag as the leader of the Pangandag Drug Group operating in Dasmariñas.
The raid was made after the PPO was able to get court search warrants for Pangandag and two others namely Absamin Didi Agun Pangandag and Pacalindog Bolo Rasul.,
The raiding team found a sachet containing 10 grams of “shabu,” an unlicensed .45 cal. Colt pistol, assorted ammunition, four cellular phones in the residence of Pangandag.
Four other individuals were arrested.
PPO officers said that the village is known as the drug sale center in Region IV-A or the Calabarzon (Cavite-LagunaBatangas-Rizal-Quezon) area.
Bulacan buy-bust Three notorious drug pushers were neutralized in two separate operations conducted by the Bulacan police last Monday in the municipalities Bocaue and Pulilan.
Senior Supt. Romeo M. Caramat Jr., acting Bulacan police director, identified the slain suspects as Marcelo Galvez Dela Cruz, alias ‘Tating’, 39, of Barangay Bambang, Bocaue, Bulacan, Dennis Dungo Reyes, 38, and Luisito Viray Bautista, 34, both of Barangay San Vicente, Apalit, Pampanga.
Supt. Charlie Cabradilla, Bocaue, Bulacan police chief, reported that a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bambang at around 9 p.m. in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency - Central Luzon.
Dela Cruz, after finding out that he was dealing with an undercover police officer, drew his firearm, which triggered a gun battle that eventually led to his death.
Recovered from the casualty were 15 sachets of shabu, a loaded firearm, ammunition and two marked P100 bills.
Over in Pulilan, Supt. Satur Ediong reported that a police checkpoint team his was stationed in Barangay Sto. Cristo, when they chanced upon Reyes and Bautista on board a tricycle.
A police alert noted that they just shot dead a cohort due to a drug deal gone awry.
The suspects fired at the police team manning the checkpoint which led to a running gun battle. Reyes and Bautista were fatally hit.
Recovered from the slain suspects were two guns, ammunition and sachets of shabu.
In Paombong, Nowell Paquio,36, a notorious drug dealer, was likewise shot dead during a drug sting after resisting arrest and trying to shoot members of the police team.
La Union A drug pusher busted by the police was shot dead after he resisted arrest and tried to detonate a grenade in Barangay Leones East in Tubao, La Union on Tuesday.
Senior Inspector Juan Jhayar N. Maggay, Tubao police chief, identified the slain suspect as Jamichael M. Diaz, 25.
Maggay said that the suspect sold shabu worth P500 to his men at around 10:00 a.m. when he sensed that he is transacting with a policeman and immediately ran but was cornered by pursuing policemen.
“He was about to pull the pin of a hand grenade but was shot by policemen in the head which causes his immediate death,” Maggay said.
The Explosive Ordnance Division was called in to handle the grenade.
Quezon casualty
A suspected drug dealer was shot dead after he tried to outdraw police officers out to serve a warrant for his arrest yesterday in Infanta, Quezon.
Senior Superintendent Antonio Yarra, Quezon provincial police director, identified the casualty as Camaloden Marohum Sarip, 40, while his wife Eleanor, 33, surrendered to police.
Yarra said that a composite team from the Infanta police and Provincial Intelligence operatives were barred from serving the arrest warrant and were later shot at by the slain suspect.
The police te4am returned fire and fatally hit Sarip. Recovered from him were a loaded gun, various ammunition and three sachets of shabu.
In Lopez town, yet another notorious drug suspect was killed in a buy bust operation in Barangay Canda Ilaya at noontime Tuesday.
Chief Inspector Romulo Albacea, Lopez police chief said that the still unidentified casualty expired before reaching hospital. (With reports from Anthony Giron, Freddie C. Velez, Erwin Beleo, Danny J. Estacio and Liezle Basa Inigo)