2 dead, 8 arrested in drug war

MANILA, Philippines - At least two persons were killed and eight others were arrested in Metro Manila over the past two days as the government continued its war against illegal drugs.

Ariosto Sanchez, 29, and his partner Gina Sepida, 45, were killed by four motorcycle-riding men who barged into their house along Eagle street in Barangay Bagong Silangan at around 6:30 p.m.

Sanchez’s brother told police he heard successive gunshots coming from the victim’s house. When he checked, he found their bodies lying on the floor of the house.

Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District director, said information from the barangay tagged the two victims as drug personalities.

Recovered at the crime scene were 13 fired cartridge cases, four deformed bullets and two sachets said to contain shabu.

In Pasig, Sammy Aljus, 32, Noel Cabanlit, 36; Ronnie Urbaneja, 38; and Edgardo Pineda, 53, were arrested after being caught using sachets of shabu as bets for their card game “tong-its” at the Tranex Compound in Barangay Rosario at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday.

Aljus yielded 15 sachets of shabu, said Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, Eastern Police District director.

Two women and a man were arrested in separate drug stings in Marikina and San Juan Thursday.

Florence de Castro was arrested after handing over a sachet of shabu with a street value of P300 along H. Bautista street in Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina just before 8 p.m. Thursday. Four more sachets of shabu were seized from De Castro.

Less than two hours later, Roy Lagasca and Clara Atendido were arrested after selling a sachet of shabu for P300 to an undercover police officer along Tuberias street in Barangay San Perfecto, San Juan.

Another sachet of shabu and the marked money were confiscated from the two.

In Mandaluyong, alleged pusher Andrew Grabato, 24, was caught in a sting in Barangay Addition Hills at around 11 a.m. yesterday.