11 more drug suspects killed

MANILA, Philippines – Eleven more suspected drug pushers were killed in separate incidents over the weekend.

Two unidentified armed men dragged Rodrigo Polintan Jr. out of his home before he was shot dead in Tagkawayan, Quezon early yesterday.

At the same time, Rolando Macabuhay Selga Jr. was shot by unidentified men riding tandem on a motorcycle.

Police said both victims were in the watchlist of suspects involved in the sale of illegal drugs in the town.

Another suspect was also killed in Baguio City on Saturday.

Police said Resty Sotero was killed in a firefight with policemen who were trying to serve a warrant of arrest for the suspect, wanted for murder and selling illegal drugs.

In Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, Ricardo Samson was shot dead by unidentified men on Friday.

Samson was riding his motorcycle when the gunmen who were waiting for him to pass by opened fire, killing him on the spot.

Provincial police director Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel said Samson, a heavy equipment operator of Barangay West Poblacion, was included in drug watchlist by the police.

Police suspected a vigilante group could have killed Samson.

In Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, Nelson Enriquez was killed in a shootout with policemen during a drug sting operation. Another suspect, Jacky Castro was apprehended.

Provincial police director Senior Supt. Rodolfo Recomono said Enriquez tried to fight it out with the lawmen after sensing a botched drug sting operation.

Another suspected drug pusher and gunrunner was killed in an encounter with the police in Caloocan City late Friday.

Police said Dominador Talusan was shot dead by policemen during a sting operation.

Talusan reportedly opened fire at the pursuing lawmen while trying to escape.

Police said Talusan, a resident of Orchid Street in Barangay 188, had been under surveillance for selling firearms and illegal drugs for three months.

In Manila, Eduardo Remodaro, his son Arcy, and a certain Ricky Acon were killed in separate shooting incidents with the police.

The Remodaros were killed during a shootout with lawmen in a botched drug sting operation in Tondo on Friday.

Acon was killed during a shootout with policemen in Paco early Saturday.

The latest killings added up to the number of drug offenders getting killed by the police over the weekend to 35.

Nineteen drug suspects were killed in separate incidents as reported Saturday.

However, the number of self-confessed drug pushers and users surrendering to the authorities considerably increased.

Most of them had expressed fears that they might end up dead if they did not give up illegal drugs.

More than 7,000 surrendered to the police in Central Luzon, police said yesterday.

Regional police director Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino said the self-confessed drug offenders submitted themselves to police stations and local officials in the region.

In the Caraga region, the police reported 8,792 self-confessed drug offenders have surrendered.

“I was actually shocked when one by one, they came forward and admitted they used shabu while some used and sell shabu. I thought based on our intelligence report that there were 100 (drug offenders). They admitted their fear of President Duterte’s warnings prompted them to surrender,” Tagbina, Surigao del Sur police chief George Cariño said. – Michelle Zoleta, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Ric Sapnu, Artemio Dumlao, Rey Galupo, Ben Serrano, Perseus Echeminada, Ding Cervantes