Boy, 17, killed in Caloocan drug operation

MANILA, Philippines - A 17-year-old boy was killed in an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City on Wednesday.

Kian Lloyd delos Santos reportedly tried to run away and then shot it out with police officers from Police Community Precinct 7 along Block 7 Riverside in Barangay Baesa at around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to city police chief Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna.

He said a .45 caliber pistol and two sachets of shabu were recovered from Delos Santos.

The boy’s relatives, said the items do not belong to him.

His uncle, Randy delos Santos, said he was told that when one of the drug suspects saw police officers approach, he passed on a packet of what was believed to be shabu to the boy, who ran as he was afraid of being caught with the packet on his person, GMA News reported.

Also in Caloocan, Roland Manalo and Roland Mendez Jr. reportedly engaged police officers in a shootout in Tala at around 10:30 a.m. Manalo, a suspect in a car theft last week, died at the scene while Mendez was arrested.

In other parts of Metro Manila, two boys aged 13 and 14 were among at least 18 suspected drug pushers and users arrested since Wednesday.

The boys were arrested along with their uncle, Ibrahim Salba, 23, and D’non Abas Kabatuan in a sting along Maguindanao street in Barangay New Lower Bicutan at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Some 1.25 kilos of shabu, in eight sachets, were seized from them. A kilo of shabu has a street value of P5 million.

Police also confiscated two magazines for an M-14 rifle, 60 bullets for an M-16 rifle, a gun replica, a scissor and a lighter from the suspects.

Also in Taguig, 10 drug suspects – Allan Abringi, 40; Edgardo Concerma, 27; Jomer Zalun, 20; Raymart John Salmeron, 20; Sonny Boy Cortez, 29; Maria Teresa Barcelno, 33; Edwin Margas, 47; Rommel Pagulayan; Rosita Rioja, 35; and Richard Duyanin, 38 – were all caught reportedly using illegal drugs  during a One Time, Big Time operation in Barangay Lower Bicutan at around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Eight sachets of shabu and three glass tooters were confiscated during the operation.

Police arrested Jay-ar Guese, 32, a laborer who was caught in Barangay Palingon-Tipas, Taguig on Wednesday while carrying a sachet of shabu, an improvised shotgun, a slingshot and three nails.

Marlon Dominguez, 19, was arrested in Barangay 110, Pasay City on Wednesday after an undetermined amount of marijuana leaves were found in his possession.

In Pateros, police arrested Jojo Chavez, 42, and Rowens Cyrus Concepcion, 28, for carrying three sachets of shabu in Barangay San Roque on Wednesday. – Rey Galupo, Emmanuel Tupas, Ghio Ong