Metro anti-crime drive on

MANILA, Philippines – In Caloocan City, bodies of apparent victims of summary executions have turned up. Elsewhere, drug suspects are being rounded up, people drinking in the streets picked up and curfews on children enforced.

As police prepare to welcome a new president, a crime drive is sweeping Metro Manila, with men being apprehended for merely going shirtless outside their homes to cool down in the muggy weather.

Eight more drug suspects were arrested in separate sting operations in Parañaque and Quezon City on Monday night.

Three kilos of shabu, with an estimated street value of P18 million, were confiscated by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) from suspected drug pushers Mustapha Madayao, Noroden Amatonding and Binnor Macabato.

The three were nabbed in a parking lot along Bradco Avenue, Macapagal Boulevard, Parañaque at around 11 p.m., Senior Supt. Joel Pernito, CIDG Region 4-A chief, said.

 Pernito said an informant tipped off police about the drug pushing activities of the suspects.

He said an undercover police officer arranged the sale of a kilo of shabu with the suspects for P5 million.

Pernito said the suspects earlier agreed to conduct the drug sale in Cavite but decided at the last minute to hold the payoff along Macapagal Avenue.

The suspects were arrested after handing over a kilo of shabu to the undercover officer in exchange for P5 million, Pernito said.

He said a search of the suspect’s black sports bag yielded two more kilos of shabu.

The suspects are being held at the CIDG Region 4-A headquarters on drug charges.

In Quezon City, police arrested five people for alleged possession of marijuana bricks worth P63,000.

The suspects were nabbed after police received information of illegal drug trade in Barangay Old Balara at around 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

Operatives of the Batasan police station anti-illegal drugs unit arrested Ronna de la Calzada, 25; Nelbert Villanueva, 33; Ian Pua, 42; John Adrian Balisi, 24 and a 16-year-old boy.

They will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, police said.

Prior to their arrest, police apprehended a group of men playing “cara y cruz” in the area. They were Alexander Enriquez, 24; Louie Matas, 20; Ricardo Tuliao, 30; Richard Lancebal, 33 and a minor.

Police also recovered a .38-caliber revolver from Enriquez.

The suspects will be charged with illegal gambling. A separate complaint for election gun ban will be filed against Enriquez.

Summary executions

Meanwhile, a vigilante group is believed to be responsible for a spate of killings of suspected criminals in Caloocan City.

A source did not confirm or deny that the group was composed of active police officers, but admitted that the killings had “clearance from above.”

The bodies of two men, said to be victims of summary executions, were found in Barangay 171, Bagumbong, Caloocan last week.

One of the fatalities was identified as Ryan Vincent Modesto, 19. He bore bullet wounds, his mouth gagged with masking tape and his hands tied.

A cardboard with markings, “Huwag ninyo akong tutularan, holdupper ako!” was placed on his body.

The body of a man – burned beyond recognition – was discovered by a tricycle driver in front of St. Mary’s Academy in Grace Park, Caloocan on Friday.

On Saturday, the bodies of a man and woman were dumped under the Sampaguita Bridge in Barangay 171, Bagumbong.

Scene of the crime operatives said the fatalities bore gunshots to the head and strangulation marks.

Police said Richard Guiab, a former member of the Bulacan police allegedly involved in illegal drugs and carjacking, was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle while he was walking along Jasmine street in Camarin.

In Valenzuela City, a tattooed man described as being between 19 and 25 years old was found dead along Sto. Rosario street, Barangay Mapulang Lupa.

Last month, the mutilated bodies of a man and woman were found stuffed in sacks in Barangay Tugatog, Malabon.

“Maybe law enforcers have had enough of crime and illegal drugs in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area. But until such time that a group comes out and owns up to these killings, all we can do is to speculate,” the source said.  

‘Shabu cop’

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to look into the bank accounts of a policeman earlier caught with shabu and around P7 million in cash in a raid on his house in Sampaloc, Manila.

The NBI said Police Officer 2 Jolly Aliangan, whose home was described in television reports as fit for a general, allegedly has P30 million in bank deposits.

The NBI is considering filing money laundering charges against Aliangan, who was reportedly engaged in reselling drugs seized from previous raids on the New Bilibid Prison.

The bureau also asked the AMLC to forfeit Aliangan’s properties.

Aliangan, who was assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office Regional Anti-Illegal Drug unit, reportedly owns three homes, including a three-story house on Palawan street in Sampaloc.

He also owns a Mitsubishi Montero and a Toyota Altis.

NBI agents recovered from Aliangan 300 grams of shabu and a vault containing P6.9 million in cash.

4 cops nabbed for drugs, extortion

Meanwhile, four policemen tagged in illegal drugs and extortion were arrested in separate operations in Davao Oriental and Bulacan on Monday.

Senior Police Officer 4 Nollo Barsaman and PO2 Jesus Mante Jr. tested positive for drug use, according to Chief Inspector Noel Asumen, officer-in-charge of the Mati City police.

Asumen said Barsaman was found in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Supt. Harry Espela, Davao Provincial Police Office director, said Barsaman and Mante would be slapped with administrative charges.

In Bulacan, members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) apprehended PO3 Winston de Leon Mariano and PO1 Benjamin Sauban for allegedly extorting money from a couple whom they nabbed during a shakedown.

CIDG chief Director Victor Deona said the two were caught along with police asset John Victor Vendano.

Deona said the suspects raided the couple’s house in Sta. Maria town for alleged involvement in drugs on Saturday.

The police officers allegedly demanded P150,000 in exchange for the release of the couple.

The couple initially gave the suspects P40,000 inside the Obando police station then sought help from the CIDG, which conducted an entrapment operation resulting in their arrest on Monday.

Duterte earlier sought the resignation of three police generals allegedly involved in corruption.

Incoming PNP director Chief Supt. Ronald de la Rosa vowed to run after police officers involved in illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, a group of gun holders supported Duterte’s call for lawfully arming citizens because “the law has always allowed private citizens to conduct citizen’s arrests of persons who are actually committing crimes as well as to carry their personal firearms in accordance with law.”

But Rod Moreno of Gun Owners in Action said arming civilians must not be misunderstood as a blanket for vigilantism.

“Like all rights, this must be exercised responsibly,” Moreno said. – With Romina Cabrera, Rey Galupo, Ghio Ong, Cecille Suerte Felipe