Family of suspect slain in Lipa shootout disputes drug links

BATANGAS, Philippines (The Filipino Connection) – The family of Rolando Bellen, alias Kalbo, who died in a supposed shootout with police authorities during a buy-bust operation in Lipa City earlier this month, has cried foul over insinuations that he was involved in illegal drugs and demanded justice for his killing.

 

Bellen’s wife Honeybee said the family was extremely disappointed and hurt by the pronouncements of the local police that he was a drug pusher and felt she had to speak up to defend Bellen over allegations being against him.

 

“I know my husband. He is so kind. He doesn’t have vices and he really would never ever sell drugs,” Honeybee told The Filipino Connection in an interview.

 

When told that the police recovered from Bellen some five sachets of shabu and a caliber .357 pistol with ammunition, she replied, “Maybe they just planted that evidence in order for them to cover up the investigation on what they did to my husband.”

 

She also doubts reports that her husband fought and engaged police in a firefight noting that he only sustained gunshot wounds on his chest and did not even have a bruise on his body.

 

The family has requested an autopsy of Bellen’s body.

 

They have yet to decide, though, whether they will file charges at the National Police Commission against members of the Lipa City police who were involved in the operation.

 

“What we’re really after now is to clear his name,” Honeybee says.

 

 

Superintendent Carlos Barde, Lipa City police chief, declined requests for an interview.

 

He, however, denied allegations of a police rubout and maintained that Bellen died in a legitimate police operation as shown by the drugs and gun recovered from his possession.

 

According to reports, the Lipa City police's Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Group conducted the said operation in Barangay Anilao Proper at about 11:15 p.m. on July 9.

 

PO1 Elijones Lat, acting as poseur-buyer, gave P500 in marked money to Bellen in exchange for a sachet of shabu.

 

When PO1 Fernando Pedro, who was also at the scene, introduced himself as a police officer, however, the suspect immediately drew a firearm from his sling bag and shot at him twice but missed.

 

PO1 Pedro fired back and Bellen was wounded after a brief exchange of shots. His companion fled in the direction of Padre Garcia on a motorcycle.

 

Police immediately brought the wounded suspect to NL Villa Memorial Medical Center in Lipa City for treatment but Bellen was declared dead on arrival.

 

Bellen, a bus mechanic who hails from Sto. Tomas, Batangas, was the second drug suspect killed in a police buy-bust operation in Lipa City since President Rodrigo Duterte was elected as president on May 9.

 

A certain Glenn also died in a similar operation on June 7, when he reportedly resisted arrest during a buy-bust, which led to a chase and a bloody exchange of gunfire in Barangay Lodlod.

 

According to the Batangas provincial police, they have already conducted 624 buy-bust operations in the province between January 1 and July 10, 2016, that led to the arrest of 648 suspects. Five suspects, including Bellen and alias Glenn, were reportedly killed in armed encounters with police.

 

Police said they also recovered 1,989.12 grams of shabu and 739.26 grams of marijuana with an estimated value of P19.11 million.

 

Some 159 drug suspects were also arrested in the police’s 333 search warrant operations, which led to the seizure of 280.74 grams of shabu and 110.14 grams of marijuana worth P2.35 million. Three suspects were killed on the said operations.

 

The Filipino Connection is a new newspaper in Lipa City, Batangas