2 drug suspects slain; thousands surrender

MANILA, Philippines – Two more drug suspects have been killed even as thousands of drug users and suspected pushers have surrendered for fear of their lives.

Ronald Marcos and a certain Allan, who were allegedly involved in illegal drug operations in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) were killed in an alleged shootout with police officers in Binangonan, Rizal yesterday.

Superintendent Adriano Enong Jr., Rizal police director, said the suspects fired at police officers as they evaded a checkpoint along the Manila East Road in Barangay Batingan.

Enong said they put up the checkpoint after receiving reports that the suspects stole an L-300 van in Angono town. He said Marcos was a leader of a car theft syndicate.

Police recovered the stolen van, a.45-caliber pistol, a .38 caliber revolver and ammunition from the suspects.

4,000 surrender

Two days before the inauguration of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, around 4,000 drug personalities surrendered in Central Mindanao.

At least 2,490 of the drug suspects were from South Cotabato and 1,342 from Cotabato, said Superintendent Romeo Galgo, Central Mindanao police spokesman.

Galgo said not all of those who surrendered have pending arrest warrants.

Oplan Tokhang

In Labason, Zamboanga del Norte, 40 drug personalities surrendered as the police intensified Oplan Tokhang.

Under the campaign, which incoming Philippine National Police chief Ronald de la Rosa started when he was Davao City police chief, police officers knock on the doors of drug suspects and appeal to them to surrender.

At least 43 self-confessed drug pushers and users, including minors, surrendered to authorities in San Agustin town in Isabela and 19 in Carles, Iloilo.

Drug dens

Thirteen persons were arrested when agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency raided two drug dens in Purok Sto. Niño, Cebu City and Barangay Tuburan in Albay on Saturday.

Twenty-nine sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of over P300,000 as well as various guns were seized in the raids.

In Camarines Norte, nine drug suspects were arrested in simultaneous raids over the weekend.

Police recovered  54 sachets of shabu, a sachet of dried marijuana leaves, drug paraphernalia, various guns and ammunition.

Wilson Ballesteros, a former police officer on the Pangasinan drug watchlist, was collared in an abandoned house in Dagupan City for possession of a sachet of shabu. – With Victor Martin, Eva Visperas, Francis Elevado, Jennifer Rendon, Roel Pareño, Romina Cabrera