39 drug suspects killed in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines -  Aleast 39 suspected drug users and pushers in various parts of Metro Manila were killed by either police officers or unidentified assailants since Thursday afternoon.

Caloocan City reported the most number of deaths at 10; Manila, eight; Valenzuela and Quezon City, five each; Malabon, three; Navotas, Makati and Marikina, two each; Pasig and Taguig, one each.

Twenty-two others were arrested in southern Metro Manila in the past three days.

Among those killed in Caloocan were “Macmac,”  James Sese, Rogelio Sapla, Rene Cabalde, Arjay Espinosa, Enrico dela Cruz, Jake Guiraldo and three other unnamed suspects, according to Chief Inspector Ilustre Mendoza, assistant city police chief.

Superintendent Reynaldo Medina, assistant city police chief of Valenzuela, said the “neutralized” suspects were Fernando Centeno, Rowell Floresca, a man identified only as “Joel,” Reylindo Dioma and Antonio Bautista.

In Malabon, Senior Police Officer 4 Dennis Paul Javier said separate drug enforcement teams killed Rolando Liwag, Alvin Villamedez and an unidentified suspect.

Two unnamed suspected pushers also fell in Navotas City. 

Northern Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Fajardo, meanwhile, reiterated their position that “they are just doing their job and that anyone who is involved in illegal drugs, old and young alike, will bear the brunt if they don’t mend their ways.”

Bloody Manila

After a day that had police officers counting 25 bodies on the streets, the Manila Police District (MPD) again launched simultaneous operations and killed eight suspected drug personalities in alleged encounters in the past 24 hours.

The first to fall were Vicente Bartolome and Norman Anyaya at the railroad tracks along Hermosa street in Tondo at around 8:15 p.m. Thursday.

John Rex Bapilonia, 17, reportedly shot it out behind the Manila Central Post Office in Lawton at around 10 p.m. Thursday.

A man identified only as Paulo was killed in a reported shootout with MPD Station 10 police officers along President Quirino Avenue in Pandacan at around 1:30 a.m. yesterday.

Mel John Galman, 26; Jessie Yumang, 40; Edmel Santiago and Joey Santos were killed in separate police operations in Sta. Ana at around 2:30 a.m. yesterday.

Gunned down

Alleged drug personalities Alexander Lana, 38, and Cecilio Natividad, 31, were drinking with friends in front of a house along Gladiola street in Barangay Rizal when four men on two motorcycles shot them repeatedly at around 1:50 a.m. yesterday, said Superintendent Jenny Tecson, spokesperson of the Southern Police District.

Natividad’s older brother, Sherwin, said the victim surrendered in the government’s Oplan Tokhang but continued to use his house as a drug den.

Alleged drug dealer Gerry Palomata, 29, was killed by an unidentified assailant as he was walking in Barangay North Signal in Taguig City at around 9:50 p.m. Thursday.

Police said Palomata was known as a drug pusher and robber in his neighborhood and nearby barangays in Taguig.

In Marikina, Johnny Reyes, 29, and Mark del Rosario, 39, were shot dead in separate attacks by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants at around past 4 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Thursday, respectively.

Reyes was suspected to be behind the rash of robberies and burglaries in San Roque, said Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Rosario was attacked as he was walking in Barangay Concepcion Uno. 

In Pasig, Christopher Magallano was shot dead by three unidentified assailants as he was playing in a billiard hall in Barangay Maybunga at past 4 p.m. Thursday.

Magallano was categorized as a pusher and user in Maybunga’s drug watchlist, Sapitula said.

Home invasion

In Quezon City, Dannydel Ballad, 41, was killed by six masked men who barged into his home in Barangay Payatas A as he and his partner and 10-year-old daughter were sleeping Thursday night.

The assailants shot Ballad repeatedly while his partner and daughter were herded into the bathroom.

Thirteen bullet casings, eight slugs, a lighter and a strip of aluminum foil with suspected traces of shabu were recovered at the scene.

Unidentified assailants shot dead Ferdinand Ibanez, 38, in Barangay San Agustin at around 8:20 p.m. Police reported that two sachets of shabu and his motorcycle keys were still in his hand.

A man identified only as Butchoy was shot dead by two assailants, with two others acting as lookouts, in Barangay Novaliches Proper at around 11:40 p.m.

In Barangay Bagong Pag-asa, John Francis Almildez, 32, was shot in San Roque 2 at around 10:30 p.m. He died at the Quezon City General Hospital a few hours later.

Police officers shot dead Arturo Asiddao, 37, in an alleged shootout during a drug sting at his home along Cardiz street in Barangay Tatalon at around 7:50 p.m.

A sachet said to contain shabu and marked money were reportedly recovered from Asiddao at the Delos Santos Medical Center, where he was declared dead upon arrival.

Kelly Dalire, 27; Vicente Balana, 60; Jaime Carpio, 38; and Paulo Aquillo, 38, were arrested in Asiddao’s house for alleged possession of illegal drugs. – With Non Alquitran, Emmanuel Tupas, Romina Cabrera