5 drug suspects slain

MANILA, Philippines - Five more alleged drug pushers were gunned down in Luzon and Zamboanga City in the past two days.

Bobby dela Rosa was driving his motorbike when he was shot in Barangay Tambubong in San Rafael, Bulacan yesterday. Ten sachets of shabu were reportedly recovered from the victim.

An alias Levie and his companion who has yet to be identified reportedly shot it out with anti-narcotics agents in Barangay Maguyam, Silang, Cavite at around 6:04 a.m. on Friday.

Mercidito Luna, 31, allegedly drew his gun when he sensed he had sold shabu to a policeman  who posed as a buyer in Barangay Putik, Zamboanga City.

Sachets of shabu, guns and marked money were recovered from the fatalities, police said.

Maricon Colobong, 44, a councilwoman in Barangay Lacuben, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, and her partner were riding a motorcycle when an unidentified man opened fire on Friday. 

Colobong died at the scene. Her partner Lyndon Marquez, 52, was unhurt.

Chief Inspector Dexter Corpuz, Ilocos Norte police spokesman, said the victim was on the watchlist of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. 

2 shot dead

Two other persons were killed in shootings in Tanauan, Batangas yesterday.

 Tricycle driver Serafin Gallivo Jr., 29, was shot several times in Barangay Ambulong at around 2:10 a.m.

Police said the victim, managed to call his wife before he died and identified his assailants.

Ricky Dalaw, 47, was at a store along the highway in Barangay San Felipe when a lone guman shot him in the head twice. The gunman fled on a motorcycle driven by his cohort.

Investigations into the killings are underway.

‘High-value’ targets

Meanwhile, Rizaldy Malicad, 43, a councilman of Barangay Malibabag, Peñablanca, Cagayan, was among several ”high-value” drug pushers  who have been arrested in Luzon since Friday as the government continued its campaign against illegal drugs.

Malicad yielded under Oplan Tokhang last year, but continued selling shabu, said Senior Inspector Joefferson Gannaban, Peñablanca police chief.

In Tarlac, James Daniel Dancel, 29, of the Capas municipal public order and safety management office, was nabbed in a sting in Barangay Sto. Domingo in Capas town. His wife Raquel, 32, firewoman in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, was collared for alleged obstruction of justice.

Police said Raquel prevented Dancel from giving his urine sample for a drug test following his arrest.

Three others were  arrested in stings in Angono, Rizal on Friday. – Emmanuel Tupas, Ric Sapnu, Raymund Catindig, Ed Amoroso, Roel Pareño, Ding Cervantes