Suspected drug dealer killed in shootout

A suspected drug dealer was killed in a shootout with police operatives during an inspection of a previously raided drug den in Quiapo, Manila yesterday morning.

The place was raided by the police at around 4 a.m. on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Antonio Eugenio of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 2.

Recovered from the scene of operation were three kilos of suspected shabu, 16 small heat-sealed plastic sachets containing crystalline granules, four improvised tooters, 18 pieces aluminum foil, six disposable lighters, a weighing scale and two video karera machines.

Sta. Cruz police station chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, who led the raiding team, said the subject of their search warrant was one JR Paez, a suspected big-time drug dealer.

According to Sapitula, his men had to use acetylene torch to open the two steel doors that led to the interior of the compound where Paez’s house is located. Police also recovered a video camera which monitors persons entering the compound.

"Only regular illegal drug clients were allowed entry into the compound, which was constantly monitored by a camera," Sapitula said.

Police invited for questioning four persons residing in the compound, but failed to arrest the suspected drug dealers since Paez’s residence was uninhabited when the police barged in.

Sapitula said the suspects could have escaped to the other side of the Pasig River by using a small banca.

Minutes after the officials left, Sapitula was informed by his asset that four of the drug den’s maintenance men were spotted rowing back to the house.

Sapitula ordered his men to swoop down on the house and caught the suspects off guard. The suspects, however, refused to surrender and opened fire at the cops, triggering a shootout.

One of the suspects, identified as Jessie Lloyd Holgado, 23, of 711 Plaza Noli, Sampaloc, was killed.