6 drug suspects slain

MANILA, Philippines - Six more persons suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade in Luzon were slain in Luzon in the past two days.

Ramon Nebres, 49, died when he reportedly fired at police operatives during a sting in Barangay Tinago in Camalig, Albay at around 3:54 p.m. on Friday.

Nebres was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital.

Orlan Legaspi allegedly shot it out with police officers serving a warrant of arrest at his residence in Barangay Peñafranca in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur also on Friday.

Reynaldo Balingit, a resident of Barangay Catmon in Malolos City, Bulacan, and Jaime Guipa of Barangay Gaya-Gaya in San Jose Del Monte City were killed in stings yesterday.

Balingit’s partner Lovely Calong was arrested after a brief chase.

The fatalities drew their guns when they sensed they had sold shabu to undercover agents, said Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director.

Caramat said Guipa was ranked fifth on the watchlist of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in San Juan, Abra. He said Balingit and his partner were on the barangay watchlist.

Rafael Garcia, 60, alias Raffy, and Gilbert Capuso, 36, alias Teggy, were killed in an anti-drug operation in Barangay Aplaya in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna at around 10:45 p.m. on Friday night.

Their companion, Mary Ann Alibudbod, 42, was collared while a man who has yet to be identified eluded arrest.

Superintendent Giovanni Martinez, Sta. Rosa police chief, said the fatalities were newly identified drug suspects.

The fatalities yielded guns, sachets of shabu and marked money, police said.

More nabbed

Jaymar Barcelon, 32, a resident of Barangay Arimbay, was arrested in an anti-drug operation along Serrano street in Barangay Bano in Legazpi City, Albay on Friday.

Senior Inspector Malou Calubaquib, Bicol police spokesperson, said there are around 24,000 persons on the region’s drug watchlist.

Limbona Manangaran, 30, alias Usman, was collared for selling shabu worth P7,000 to an undercover agent in Lower Magsaysay in Baguio City on Friday.

Police said the suspect is a member of a drug ring operating in the city.

Seven more supected drug personalities were collared in police operations in Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta and Alfonso in Cavite and two in Rodriquez and Teresa, Rizal on Friday.

Drug users

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon called on government officials who are drug users to surrender and seek rehabilitation.

Marañon made the call after La Castellana Councilor Alberto Nicor III went to the police to clear his name after it was included on the list of drug users.

Nicor, younger brother of La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, told police that he had stopped using drugs.

Marañon said Nicor’s admission “solves his problem by 90 percent.”

At least 33 barangay officials in Negros Occidental were reportedly involved in the illegal drug trade. – Ric Sapnu, Ed Amoroso, Celso Amo, Raymund Catindig, Francis Elevado, Artemio Dumlao, Gilbert Bayoran