5 drug suspects killed in Bulacan, Laguna

MANILA, Philippines – Five more persons believed to be involved in the illegal drug trade have been killed in separate incidents in Luzon.

Four were slain in Bulacan yesterday.

Unidentified motorcycle-riding men shot dead tricycle driver Wilfredo Serrano, 56, a resident of Barangay Capihan, and Darwin Bermudez, 37, of Barangay San Agustin in San Rafael town, said Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director.

Caramat said Serrano was on the barangay drug watchlist.

An alias Victor, a resident of Barangay San Pedro in Hagonoy, was killed when he reportedly shot it out with police operatives during a sting.

Caramat said six sachets of shabu, a caliber .38 revolver, drug paraphernalia and an ice pick were recovered from the fatality.

In Balagtas, a man who has yet to be identified was found dead along the road in Barangay Burol 2nd.  His hands and feet were wrapped in packing tape and his body bore a piece of cardboard that read, tulak ako wag tularan (I’m a pusher, don’t emulate).”

Jay Migo reportedly drew his gun when he sensed he had sold shabu to anti-drug operatives in San Pablo City, Laguna at around 6 p.m. on Monday.  He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Pagamutang Panlalawigan ng Laguna.

Police said Migo was not on their drug watchlist.

Superintendent Chitadel Gaoiran, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police spokesperson, said around 50 suspected drug personalities have been killed in the region since July 1.

Meanwhile, construction worker Nelio Jordan, 39; Lorena Bajas, 36; Roque Gwapa, 33, and Romelo Sacriz, 48, were arrested in a sting in Purok 9, Barangay 4 in Daet, Camarines Norte on Monday.

Elmer Silvestre, 41, alias Memeng, did not resist arrest during a sting in Barangay Gulod Malaya in San Mateo, Rizal at around 1:45 a.m. yesterday. The suspect surrendered under Oplan Tokhang recently, police said.

The suspects reportedly yielded sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia and marked money. – Ric Sapnu, Ed Amoroso, Francis Elevado, Non Alquitran, Celso Amo