‘Narco-cop’ slain, 4 others hurt in ambush

A policeman was killed while four others were wounded when unidentified assailants shot at the lawman while he was in a passenger jeepney in Quezon City on Friday.

The Quezon City Police District is investigating the alleged involvement of Police Officer 3 Abdul Nuruddin in the illegal drug trade as a possible motive for the attack, said QCPD director Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar.

Nuruddin, formerly assigned to the Talipapa police station, was among the 142 QCPD personnel removed from their posts for their alleged links to the illegal drug trade.

F ive men repo r t edl y alighted from a sport utility vehicle and approached the jeepney, which was stopped near a fastfood restaurant along Tandang Sora Avenue at around 5:30 p.m.

The masked men, armed with long and short firearms, opened fire at Nuruddin, who was wearing his police uniform, police said.

After the shooting, the assailants took Nuruddin’s service firearm before speeding away.

The jeepney’s driver rushed Nuruddin and the four other injured passengers to the nearby New Era General Hospital.

The victims were later transferred to the East Avenue Medical Center, where Nuruddin was declared dead on arrival.

Those injured in the shooting were Jayson Garcia, 23; Andrea Leal, 25; Robelyn Salenda, 36, and Armando Marinia, 30.

Recovered at the crime scene were five cartridge cases and two fired bullets.

Eleazar said investigators are scouring the area to check if closed- circuit television cameras caught images of the assailants or the license plate on the getaway vehicle.

Jesus, alias Judas

Also in Quezon City, Jesus Jonas, alias Jessie Judas, was killed in a shootout following a sting before dawn yesterday.

Jonas – the Masambong police station’s top drug personality – allegedly shot at police officers following a drug deal with a lawman who posed as a buyer at around 4 a.m.

Police officers visited his home as part of Oplan Tokhang but he refused to surrender to authorities, said Superintendent Igmedio Bernaldez, Masambong station commander.

Recovered at the crime scene were 10 small sachets said to contain shabu, a .45 caliber pistol, three 9mm fired cartridge cases and P200 marked money.

Bernaldez said 10 grams of shabu, with a street value of around P20,000, was recovered from the suspect.

P.1-M party drugs seized

Meanwhile, three persons were arrested with P100,000 worth of party drugs during a sting in Quezon City on Friday night.

Jeanivien Crisostomo, 40; Gavin Buenaflor and a minor were caught along Matapat street in Barangay Pinyahan at around 11:30 p.m.

Police officers arranged to buy P3,000 worth of party drugs from the suspects, who reportedly supplied illegal drugs to bars and rave parties in the Timog and Tomas Morato areas.

Seized from the suspects were 56 Ecstasy tablets and other party drugs.

2 dead in sting

Drug suspects identified only as Jun Tausug and Jerome were killed after they allegedly shot at police officers in a drug bust in Quiapo, Manila before noon yesterday.

Police later recovered the suspects’ .38 caliber revolvers and drug paraphernalia, said Senior Police Officer 1 Bernardo Cayabyab.

The suspects’ neighbors said the two never caused trouble in the community despite being drug users.

In Caloocan City, three alleged drug personalities were killed by unidentified assailants in separate attacks that occurred within the same hour.

The city police recorded the incidents at 2 a. m. yesterday.

Partners Randy David, 38, and Marnelle Casido, 28, were shot dead by two men who barged into their house on Sulib street in Barangay 18 and shot both of them in the head.

Two sachets said to contain shabu were recovered from David, police said.

Barangay 18 councilman Richard Aguirre told police the two surrendered to authorities through Oplan Tokhang.

Tricycle driver Mark Edwin Enriquez, 21, was killed by three gunmen while he was standing outside his home on Reparo street in Barangay 161 with a fellow tricycle driver.

A sachet said to contain shabu was found on Enriquez.

Barangay 161 councilman Romeo Apuad told police Enriquez was suspected to have stolen cars in the area.