‘Slain suspect was Boratong kin’s hitman’

An alleged drug pusher killed in a running gun battle with police officers in Pasig City last Wednesday was a hitman for a relative of convicted shabu flea market operator Amin Imam Boratong, police said yesterday.

Datu Samplidan was a “notorious” pusher who was a close associate of and got his supply of shabu from Datumanong Boratong, alias Andog, said Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Samplidan was linked to several recent shootings in Pasig, he added, noting that a .45 caliber pistol with serial number 863154, recovered from Samplidan, is being subjected to cross-matching with bullets found at the scene of the shootings.

In August, the EPD chief released a drug matrix recently showing relatives of Boratong, including Andog, are behind the proliferation of shabu in Pasig City and its nearby areas.

Boratong is one of the 19 high- profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

He and his wife, Sheryl Molera, were meted life imprisonment for operating the shabu flea market in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas, which government agents raided in 2006.

According to Sapitula, they are hunting down Boratong’s relatives, who fled to the provinces after President Duterte declared a total war against illegal drugs last July 1.

Samplidan and a companion were riding a motorcycle when police officers tried to flag them down in front of the Buen Mar Subdivision in Barangay Manggahan just before 1 a.m. Thursday.

They rode on, prompting police officers to chase them in a patrol car. Samplidan reportedly shot at the police officers, hitting the patrol car thrice.

The lawmen retaliated, hitting Samplidan, who fell off the motorcycle. His companion escaped.