3 drug suspects killed in Bulacan, La Union

MANILA, Philippines - Three more suspected drug pushers were killed in the past two days.

Mark Anthony Reyes, a resident of San Miguel, Bulacan reportedly refused to pull over at a checkpoint and drew his gun at police operatives on Wednesday. His unidentified companion escaped. 

Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director, said Reyes yielded a .38-caliber revolver, four sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia. 

Caramat said Reyes surrendered under Oplan Tokhang recently. 

In Norzagaray town, Jeffry Madrillejos, a resident of Barangay Matictic, allegedly shot it out with police who posed as a buyer during a sting.

Caramat said an improvised shotgun and five sachets of shabu were recovered from the suspect.

In La Union, Lizandro Martinez, 45, who was ranked seventh on the drug watchlist of the police, was gunned down by unidentified men at around 11:30 a.m. yesterday.

Drug rehab centers

Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police acting director, urged local government units to build more drug rehabilitation centers.

Aquino said at least 58,000 drug personalities have surrendered in Central Luzon since July 1.

He said there are only 25 Bahay Pag-asa or drug rehabilitation centers in the region, including one that was opened in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday.

“I have directed my chiefs of police to build or come up with at least one Bahay Pag-asa in their area of responsibility or they will be relieved from their posts,” Aquino said.

In Negros Occidental, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan allocated P2.2 million for its drug rehabilitation program.

Salvador Escalante, chairman of the provincial board’s committee on finance, said P1.5 million would be used to rehabilitate “moderate” drug dependents at Camp Major Nelson Gerona in Barangay Minoyan in Murcia town.

Escalante said P725,000 was allocated for outpatient drug rehabilitation. – Ric Sapnu, Jun Elias, Gilbert Bayoran, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Jennifer Rendon, Raffy Viray, Non Alquitran