Gunrunning, drug suspect dies in QCPD custody

MANILA, Philippines - A man arrested for alleged gunrunning and illegal drugs died while being booked at the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) headquarters before dawn yesterday.

Noel Tumaliwan, 50, suffered seizures while he and his four fellow suspects were being processed at the jail facility of the QCPD Special Operations Unit (QCPD-DSOU) at around 3:50 a.m.

Police officers rushed him to the East Avenue Medical Center, where he was declared dead on arrival.

There was no sign of external injury on the victim’s body, cursory examination of the police showed.

The group is allegedly involved in the illegal gun and drug trade in the city and was emboldened by the recent suspension of police anti-drug operations, according to Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD director.

Four pistols, a shotgun, the firearms license of Sixto Villanueva Punzalan and 200 grams of shabu, with an estimated street value of P750,000, were confiscated from the suspects.

Tumaliwan and two others, identified as Jonathan Diestro, and Romil Trinanes, were earlier apprehended during a sting at a fastfood chain at the corner of Mindanao Ave. and North Ave. at around 8:50 p.m.

The entrapment operation stemmed from information that a certain “ Tol,” later identified as Diestro, was involved in gunrunning and drug pushing in the city.

Police arrested Diestro after buying a .45 caliber pistol from him for P5,000. His companions tried to escape in a Mirage G4 (ABG-5873), but police shot the vehicle’s right front tire.

During the inventory of the items, Trinanes divulged that the source of the firearms and illegal drugs was a certain “Kadyo.”

At around 10:35 p.m. operatives went to Kadyo’s house in Barangay Holy Spirit under the guise of remitting collection money and a woman, identified as Cecille Nillo, greeted the police.

Nillo, the live-in partner of Kadyo, was arrested after police allegedly saw several sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia on the dining table.

Kadyo was later identified as Carlito Balgos, supposedly out on bail on drug charges. He was not in his house during the raid.