Cops kill 3 men for ‘resisting arrest’

Police officers killed three men who reportedly resisted arrest in separate stings only minutes apart in Manila since Friday night.

Christopher Velasco, 30, was arrested when he was caught carrying a knife along Gonzalo Tuazon street by police officers from the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 9, which was conducting a “One- Time, Big- Time” anticrime drive.

The MPD claims that Velasco, while handcuffed, allegedly managed to push one of the lawmen and run away from them along Arellano street in Malate.

A resident pointed to where Velasco fled, but when police officers, including Police Officer 1 Resty Hipolito, reached a house Velasco entered, the suspect reportedly tried to grab Hipolito’s gun.

The gun went off during the tussle and the bullet hit Velasco, killing him, at around 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Hipolito is set to be examined to determine if he fired the gun, the MPD said.

Velasco was previously jailed for a drug-related case but released in November last year.

Minutes later, scavenger Roselito Gerellena, 45, and Martino Salatandor, 26, were shot dead after allegedly shooting it out with police officers from the MPD Station 1 along an alley off Road 10 in Tondo at past midnight yesterday.

The police officers were patrolling the area to arrest robbers and snatchers when they saw two men draw guns and shoot at them before fleeing, the MPD said.

The lawmen gave chase as the suspects ran to an alley, where the shootout allegedly occurred.

They were brought to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigators recovered from the two men a .38 caliber revolver and an improvised gun or “sumpak.” 2 dead, 400 arrested

Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday only two drug suspects were killed in legitimate operations while over 400 were arrested from March 1 to 15, after the Philippine National Police launched Project Double Barrel Reloaded.

“They were killed because they were resisting arrest,

lumaban sila,” NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde told The Star.

He said the public will have to “expect more operations,” but this does not mean that the police will kill more drug suspects.

Albayalde said the campaign seeks to help drug dependents change their ways.

He said the police will continue the war against illegal drugs through the Holy Week.

“The drug users and pushers won’t rest because they do not respect Lent,” he said.