Alleged drug pusher tagged in police informant's slay

MANILA, Philippines - An alleged big-time pusher arrested by the Northern Police District anti-illegal drugs agents in a buy-bust operation Thursday was tagged yesterday in the killing of a police informant four months ago in Malabon City.

Chief Inspector Jay Esteban Agcaoili, NPD-District Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group chief identified the suspect as ex-convict Alberto Mosque, 42, a resident of Barangay 125 in Tondo. “Mosque is a prime suspect in at least four murders in Malabon, the latest of which was the killing of police informant Michelle Servito only last April,” Senior Police Officer 1 Jonathan Taguba told The STAR.

Taguba said relatives of Mosque’s other victims, one identified as Ma. Luisa Sta. Cruz, who was killed on November 2006 in Barangay Lo­ngos, Malabon, sought Friday the assistance of the Northern-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, under Chief Inspector Ruben Lacuesta, in filing formal charges against Mosque. “The victims’ kin were afraid to file charges against Mosque because of his notoriety but when they learned that we finally arrested him, they started to show up. We are expecting more complainants,” Taguba said.  

Mosque, who spent 16 years in prison for murder reportedly turned gun-for-hire and into illegal drugs after his release, was arrested in a drug bust Thursday along a secluded alley on Area 3 in Barangay Longos, Malabon.

Police seized from him two sachets of shabu and the P1,000 marked money used in the operation. Police Officer 2 Ariosto Rana said Mosque was charged Saturday before the office of Caloocan City fiscal Queennie Yu.

“Yu recommended no bail for drug pushing charge while a P200,000 bail was recommended for the case of illegal possession of dangerous drug,” Rana said. 

Mosque was jailed for murdering a fellow worker at a marble plant in Montalban, Rizal in 1984. He was released in 2000 and became a trusted man of a former Tir-Tir gang leader identified only as Mang Amado in Barangay Longos. Rana said Amado is listed at the Malabon City police “order of battle” for his involvement in the string of criminal activities.

Mosque admitted connection with Amado “for he was the one who helped me after my release from prison, but I never got involved in any crime after I was freed.”