Cops kill 4 drug gang members

MANILA, Philippines - Four alleged members of a drug gang were killed by police officers during a sting in Quezon City before dawn yesterday.

The four men reportedly belonged to a group led by Salvacion Briones, who was arrested late last year. The group operates in Metro Manila, Cavite and Bulacan, said Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa, who heads the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Group.

Through an informant, police officers had arranged to buy 100 grams of shabu from “John” and “Jake” for P100,000 along C.P. Garcia Street in Barangay UP Campus at past 1 a.m.

The two other men, identified only as “Earl” and Ignacio,” shot at the undercover policeman when they sensed the other police officers in the area.

The policeman, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was hit in the back. The other police officers shot Earl and Ignacio.

The bodies of two of the men who were killed.

John and Jake tried to flee on a motorcycle but were cornered by police officers, who killed them in a reported shootout, along Maharlika Street in Barangay Old Capitol Site.

Police officers seized a kilo of shabu in a plastic bag and 200 more grams of shabu in several sachets in a Toyota Innova (ZBL-969) used by the suspects. The shabu had an estimated street value of more than P3 million. Figueroa said Innova could have been stolen.

Lawmen also seized four .45 caliber pistols, a weighing scale, drug paraphernalia and marked money at the crime scene.

Senior Superintendent Joselito Esquivel, QCPD deputy director for administration, said it is possible that Briones is still commanding the gang even behind bars.

He said they are still tracking down other members to permanently neutralize the gang.