3 slain in drug stings

MANILA, Philippines - Three more suspected drug pushers were slain under Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded on Sunday.

A man known only as Bong reportedly drew his gun when he sensed he had sold shabu to undercover agents along J.P. Rizal street in Barangay Evangelista in Baras, Rizal at around 11:25 p.m., said Senior Superintendent Randy Peralta, Rizal police director.

In Bataan, Emilio de Leon, a resident of Barangay Saguing, and Mark Anthony Poncio of San Benito in Dinalupihan town resisted arrest and reportedly shot it out with anti-drug operatives. 

Police and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency allegedly recovered sachets of shabu and guns from the fatalities.

Women drug pushers

Meanwhile, four other drug suspects, three of them women, were arrested in a sting at a hotel in Baguio City on Saturday.

The suspects were identified only as Nalyn, 33; Alma, 40; Wilma, 39, and Clifford Remolar, 48.

Five sachets of shabu with an estimated street value of more than P3,000 and drug paraphernalia were recovered from the suspects, police said.

In Camarines Sur, Joy Masalonga, 39, and his partner Jennifer Tapalla, 29, were  collared during a raid on their residence in Sitio Pantalan, Barangay Lohong in Ragay town on Friday.

The suspects reportedly yielded six sachets of shabu, a  caliber .45 pistol as well as ammunition.

Erring cops

Meanwhile, unlike other erring policemen who were sent to Mindanao, at least 155 police officers in Central Luzon will just undergo character and aptitude training.  

“They must go back to the basics…observe basic protocol…as the foundation of instilling discipline in order to revive the virtues of discipline and courtesy,” Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police director, said yesterday. 

Aquino said the policemen, mostly from Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Angeles City in Pampanga, were tagged in illegal drugs and extortion, among other illegal activities.

He said the policemen would undergo training at this camp for one month. 

“It is our biggest hope and challenge… to regain the trust and confidence of the community and make them feel that their police officers are their big brothers and big sisters,” Aquino said. – Ed Amoroso, Ric Sapnu, Artemio Dumlao, Francis Elevado