24 gunned down in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines – At least 24 persons were shot dead in Metro Manila over the past two days as the government continues to wage war against illegal drugs.

Police said 19 of the killings were drug-related.

Four of the victims were women and two were 18-year-old males.

Among those who lost their lives were Ace Bacoro and Randy Goroyon, both 18, who were standing along Rockefeller street in Makati City yesterday morning when four unidentified men on two motorcycles shot them repeatedly.

The two teens were declared dead on arrival at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.

The victims’ relatives admitted they had used illegal drugs but did not sell them.

Police officers are checking if a closed-circuit television camera caught the assailants on video.

In Mandaluyong City, Milton Bulos, 27, was shot dead by four motorcycle-riding assailants yesterday, said Senior Inspector Joseph Logronio, case investigator.

Bulos was in Barangay Harapin ang Bukas’ drug watchlist.

In Caloocan City, four persons were killed in separate drug-related shootings.

Carlo Hormela, 33, and his partner were in his house on Natividad street, Barangay 168 when two assailants wearing bonnets barged in and shot him several times Monday morning.

Also on Monday morning, unidentified assailants gunned down Rodrigo Manturillas, 41, in his house on Galino street in Barangay 102.

At around 10:20 p.m. Monday, unidentified attackers shot Ace Garcia, 42, along 2nd Avenue in Barangay 120. He was described in the barangay’s drug watchlist as a pusher.

Shortly before midnight Monday, four masked assailants shot dead Rosalinda Bascones, 57, in her house in Mayville Subdivision, Barangay 167.

At about the same time, jeepney driver Loreto Ocampo, 58, was on his way home when he was shot dead by an unidentified man along Hernandez street in Barangay Catmon, Malabon.

In Pasig, Jessie Pagaduan Jr., 34, was standing along Eastbank Road when unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants shot him at past midnight yesterday.

Pagaduan, who died at the scene, was in Barangay Sta. Lucia’s drug watchlist. He earlier surrendered and admitted to being involved in illegal drugs, police said.

Nick Villegas, 37, and his partner Jona Maraña were knocking on his father’s house in Barangay Manggahan at around 1 a.m. yesterday when motorcycle-riding men shot Villegas, killing him.

Police said Villegas was known as a user and pusher and was included in the barangay drug watchlist.

In Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City, Gloria Melgar, 42, and Anthony Parilla, 24, were shot dead by unidentified assailants along Kasiyahan street at around 7 p.m.

Melgar’s sister told police she was walking along a nearby alley when a masked man warned her not to go nearer as he fired a warning shot.

She ran and hid after hearing successive gunshots. The bodies of Melgar and Parilla were later found lying on the ground.

Probers said the victims tested positive for drugs when they were invited by barangay officials to take a drug test.

Police ops

Four suspected pushers were killed in separate drug busts in Binondo and Paco in Manila since Monday night.

Cyrill Raymundo, 29; Eduardo Aquino, 44; and Edgar Cumbis, 47, were slain when they reportedly shot at lawmen during a sting under the Jones Bridge in Binondo shortly before midnight Monday.

Police officers recovered a 5.56 caliber handgun, a .38 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber revolver and 11 sachets of shabu from the suspects.

Superintendent Amante Daro, Manila Police District Station 11 commander, said the three were reportedly responsible for the proliferation of illegal drugs in Sta. Cruz, Delpan, Parola Compound and Escolta.

Christopher Barcenas was killed in an alleged shootout during a sting at his house on Onyx street in Paco at around 2:20 a.m.

Police Officer 1 Jayson Niegos said he managed to buy a sachet of shabu from Barcenas when the suspect realized he was a policeman.

Probers recovered a .38 caliber revolver and six sachets of shabu from the suspect.

Three suspects were killed in alleged shootouts following simultaneous stings in Quezon City yesterday.

Constantino de Juan, 30; a man identified only as Buhay and a still unidentified man were killed in neighboring houses along Chocolate Hills street at past 9 a.m.

Recovered in Buhay’s house were P1,500 in marked money, two .38 caliber revolvers, two bullets, a fired cartridge case and three sachets said to contain shabu.

Police also recovered two sachets said to contain shabu, P500 in marked money, a .45 caliber Remington 1911 pistol and two fired cartridge cases from the other houses.

Police officers shot dead Rodolfo Rivera, 44, in an anti-drug operation in Barrio Concepcion in Barangay 188, Caloocan City shortly before noon on Monday.

Under investigation

In Quezon City, two women were killed in separate shootings since Monday night. Police did not link the deaths to the illegal drug trade.

Analyn Tolentino, 41, and Herminia Larios, 45, were attending separate wakes in Barangays Batasan Hills and Payatas B when they were attacked.

At least three witnesses said they were playing cards with Tolentino at a wake along Mayon street when six men on three motorcycles shot at their group at around 2 a.m. yesterday.

Tolentino was hit in the stomach and left leg and declared dead on arrival at the FEU Hospital.

Prior to Tolentino’s shooting, the same assailants reportedly shot at four bystanders along the nearby Sierra Madre Extension. The victims are confined at the East Avenue Medical Center.

Larios was shot twice in the face by two motorcycle-riding assailants while she was at a wake along Congressional Road at around midnight yesterday.

In Pateros, Carlo Espiritu, 25, was in his house when unidentified men barged in at around 4:30 a.m. and shot him.

Senior Police Officer 2 Felicito Brijuega said they have yet to determine if Espiritu had links to the illegal drug trade.

In Makati City, retired Philippine Army lieutenant Reynaldo Ferrer, 61, was standing along Urdaneta street when two men on a motorcycle shot him in the head.

Police investigators are looking into business rivalry as among the motives for the killing. – Robertzon Ramirez, Rey Galupo, Romina Cabrera