Drug war leaves 207 dead in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 207 drug suspects have been killed in reported shootouts with police in Quezon City since the Duterte administration started the war on drugs in June.

The latest drug suspect to be killed was known only as Ruel, who was slain after he allegedly engaged anti-narcotics officers in a gunfight during a sting in front of his house along Palmera street in Barangay Payatas on Saturday night.

Ruel died from gunshots to the head at the East Avenue Medical Center.

Members of the Batasan police reportedly managed to buy P500 worth of shabu from Ruel prior to the shootout.

Ruel allegedly yielded a.38-caliber revolver and two sachets of shabu.

In Pasig, an alleged drug pusher was shot dead in front his wife.

Constantino Ragasa, 54, died at the scene from gunshots to the body.

Ragasa was on the drug watchlist of Barangay Manggahan, Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula said.

Reports said that unidentified men broke into Ragasa’s house along Kaayusan street at past 11 p.m. and fired at him repeatedly despite his wife’s pleadings.

Responding policemen said they recovered a sachet of shabu from Ragasa.   

Deaths under probe

Meanwhile, three more fatalities have been added to the Quezon City Police District’s list of deaths under investigation.

The body of an unidentified man believed to be a victim of summary execution was dumped along Mindanao Avenue in Barangay Pasong Putik early yesterday morning.

A witness told police that he saw two men in a black van abandon the corpse in the area before fleeing.

The man was found hogtied with packing tape wrapped around his neck.

Police said the man yielded five sachets of shabu.

Alfredo Cornel, 25, was killed along Commonwealth Avenue in Barangay Batasan Hills.

Cornel died from multiple gunshots to the body, probers said.

Rosario Moreno, 32, was shot dead by an unidentified assailant in Barangay Bagbag, Novaliches on Saturday.

The latest killings brought to 183 the number of deaths under investigation by police since July 1.

Mayors’ help sought

The EPD has sought the help of mayors in the eastern part of Metro Manila in the campaign against illegal drugs.

Sapitula asked the mayors to craft an ordinance requiring condominium owners and gated subdivisions to register their residents with the barangays.

He said police officers conducting Oplan Tokhang in condominiums and subdivisions are refused entry by security personnel.

Sapitula has written a letter to the mayors of Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig and San Juan, seeking their help in the war on drugs.

The crafting of such ordinance will help police in clearing drug-affected barangays, Sapitula said.