Drug suspect shot dead in Angeles City

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga, Philippines – A drug suspect was killed while three others were arrested in separate stings in Angeles City on Friday.

Jordan Cuartelon, 34, reportedly tried to escape after sensing that he was dealing with undercover agents.

Cuartelon reportedly shot at pursuing police officers, triggering a firefight that resulted in his death, according to city police chief Senior Superintendent Sidney Villaflor.

Police recovered an improvised shotgun, five plastic sachets said to contain shabu and marked money from Cuartelon.

Meanwhile, Ariel Yanga, 49; Adrian Troy Sandig, 28, and Edmond Calaguas, 32, yielded several plastic sachets said to contain shabu and marked money in a sting staged by a team of police officers and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

In Pangasinan, eight drug suspects were arrested in separate police operations in the past two days.

Two of the suspects were identified as construction worker Sammy Duque, 35, of  Agno town, and Nombraida Sabpa, 44, of Manaoag.

Police said Duque and Sabpa ranked 16th and 14th, respectively on the drug lists of their town’s police office.

Police recovered a plastic sachet said to contain shabu from Duque and three from Sabpa.

Aside from the suspects, arrested were Jonathan Morales, 39, of Basista; Jojo Garces, 38, of Tayug; Rufino Yu, 35, who was caught in Mapandan; Ramil Lorenzo, 38, of Malasiqui; Lito Salon, 45, of Tayug, and Allan de Vera, 40, of Calasiao.

In Masbate City, police arrested a man and his son following a raid on their home that resulted in the recovery of a gun, ammunition, P143,000 in cash and 20 plastic sachets said to contain shabu.

The raid on the house of Victor Golez Sr., 53, and his son, Victor Jr., 32, in Barangay Malinta stemmed from a warrant issued by Judge Teofilo Tambago of Masbate City Regional Trial Court Branch 46.

In Ilocos Norte, a village councilman who earlier surrendered to authorities during the conduct of Oplan Tokhang was wounded in an attack on his home in Banna town on Thursday night.

Alwin Acosta, 41, was taken to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac City for treatment of gunshot wounds, according to Chief Inspector Dexter Corpuz, spokesman for the provincial police.

Acosta’s daughter Krizha Angelie Acosta, 22, suffered a bullet wound in the knee.

In Quirino, Jay-ar Tobias, 30, who was on bail for drug charges, was collared in a drug sting in Barangay Rizal, Diffun.

The suspect yielded two plastic sachets said to contain shabu. – Ric Sapnu, Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez, Raymund Catindig, Francis Elevado