36 arrested, 4 killed in drug war

MANILA, Philippines - At least 36 persons were arrested in anti-drug operations in Metro Manila since Friday while at least four alleged users and pushers were killed during the same period.

Among those arrested was a policeman during a drug sting at a house in Vista Verde Subdivision in Barangay 167, Caloocan City at around 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Erwin Vasquez was a team leader of the Quezon City Police District’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit and a member of the QCPD anti-carnapping unit. He was assigned to the QCPD’s administration holding unit until he went absent without leave since October 2016, police said.

They also said Vasquez may have been taking orders from Lloyd Nacion, a suspected pusher, to sell illegal drugs.

Vasquez, however, denied being a pusher and claimed he was just using illegal drugs.

Nacion, Renaldo Matias and Jay Criz were killed in an alleged shootout during the same sting.

Police recovered five sachets said to contain shabu, a .38 caliber revolver, two converted .22 caliber revolvers, a hand grenade and a weighing scale from the scene.

A man, who remains unidentified, escaped during the sting, police said.

An alleged dealer, identified only as “Payat,” was killed in an alleged shootout during a sting along Azucena street in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City at around 2:15 p.m. Friday.

An undercover police officer managed to buy P500 worth of shabu from the suspect, said Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD chief.

Investigators recovered a .45 caliber pistol with four bullets, the marked money, a sling bag and a knife from the suspect. A fired cartridge case was recovered at the crime scene.

Also in Quezon City, 20 men and three women were arrested while reportedly using drugs on Friday night.

Superintendent April Mark Young, Novaliches police station commander, reported that they were in the middle of an anti-drug drive when they spotted the suspects in pot sessions.

The first operation happened in Magno Subdivision, Barangay Novaliches Proper, were 13 people were caught using shabu at a vacant lot at around 8 p.m.

Ten more people were arrested at a vacant house in Barangay Sauyo at past 9 p.m.

Pieces of aluminum foil, an improvised tooter with traces of shabu, empty plastic sachets with traces of shabu and five disposable lighters were seized during the two operations.

Eleven suspects were arrested in Barangay Palingon in Tipas, Taguig in an anti-drug operation Friday morning.

Ten sachets of shabu, packets of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were seized during the operation, said Superintendent Jenny Tecson, Southern Police District spokesperson. Ten motorcycles were also seized during the same operation.

In Las Piñas, Jezreel Macatangay was arrested in his house in Barangay CAA and 10 sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia were confiscated from him, Tecson said. – Ghio Ong, Emmanuel Tupas, Robertzon Ramirez