6 drug suspects slain in Luzon, Visayas

Six more drug suspects were killed as the government’s war against drugs continued in Luzon and the Visayas in the past two days.

Among the fatalities were two government personnel who were killed in an alleged shootout with police officers in San Jose, Antique yesterday.

Enecito Escaner, guard at the Antique Provincial Jail, and Robert Magbanua, barangay councilman, allegedly tried to escape after sensing that they were dealing with undercover agents during a sting in Barangay Mabato Sur.

The suspects allegedly drew their guns and shot at the lawmen who cornered them at a public market.

Police said Escaner was on the drug list of the San Jose police while Magbanua was not.

Town police chief Superintendent Norby Escobar said aside from being a drug user, Escaner allegedly supplied drugs to inmates of the provincial jail.

Escaner was reportedly sanctioned last year for refusing to undergo a drug test.

On Monday, two drug suspects were killed in separate incidents in Bulacan and Pampanga.

Police identified one of the fatalities as a certain Roy, who was killed after allegedly trying to resist arrest during a sting in Bocaue town.

Recovered from the suspect were four plastic sachets said to contain shabu, a .45 caliber pistol and marked money.

In Angeles City, Ariel Garcia was shot dead by an unidentified assailant as he was having a drinking session with his friends.

Garcia was allegedly on the drug list of the barangay.

On the same day, police shot dead suspected drug trafficker Gerry Saliwan after he allegedly tried to fight them in San Mateo, Rizal.

Saliwan was said to be the drug supplier in Barangay Ampid and allowed pot sessions at his house.

In Camarines Sur, antinarcotics agents shot dead Levy Mayhay, tagged as the top drug supplier in Presentacion town.

Meanwhile, authorities yesterday arrested the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Pangasinan following a raid on his residence in Bani town.

The raiding team allegedly seized eight plastic sachets said to contain shabu from the house of Eduardo Ramones Jr. in Barangay Ambabaay.

Ramones was said to be a high-value target of the Bani police.

Chief Inspector Danilo Perez, town police chief, told The

STAR that he had been urging Ramones to surrender but he refused.

Ramones, who is in his second term as president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, did not resist arrest. – Jennifer Rendon, Ric Sapnu, Non Alquitran, Ed Amoroso, Celso Amo, Eva Visperas