Cops kill 50 drug suspects in a week

MANILA, Philippines - Fifty drug suspects were killed  in the past week after they allegedly put up a fight during anti-drug operations across the country in President Duterte’s war on drugs, based on the latest data from the government.

Figures from the Philippine National Police (PNP) under #RealNumbersPh released yesterday showed that 2,999 suspected drug personalities were killed in encounters with government anti-narcotics operatives as of May 17, higher by 50 when compared to the figure as of  May 9 wherein 2,949 drug suspects died in police operations since July 1 last year.

The report did not provide a breakdown on where the reported shootouts took place.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier promised a less bloody, if not bloodless, war on drugs when the campaign resumed last March. However, he stressed policemen will not hesitate to fight back if their lives are put in danger.

Meanwhile, 1,838 drug pushers and users were arrested in a span of one week for a total of 74,650 persons since July 2016.

Since July 1, 41 government anti-narcotics operatives have been killed and 112 others were wounded in operations against illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, 158 police scalawags who took advantage of the anti-narcotics campaign were dismissed from the service.

Police are investigating 7,584 homicide cases that happened since the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs took place. Dela Rosa said in the past the killings were mostly the handiwork of vigilantes riding on the administration’s anti-drug campaign.

A total of 2,071 other killings were found to be drug-related while police concluded that 2,345 other cases were the result of other motives aside from illegal drugs.

3 more dead in drug war

In Metro Manila alone, at least three drug suspects were killed in alleged shootouts with police officers since Thursday.

In Tondo, Manila, a suspect in the murder of a former drug user was killed when he allegedly opted to shoot it out with police officers sent to arrest him on Thursday night.

Justin Lopez, 23, an alleged member of the street gang Simple Minded Family, was a suspect in the killing of Michael Turla on May 14.

Probers recovered the suspect’s .45 caliber pistol and a sachet of shabu.

In Caloocan City, Reinier Legaspi was killed by police officers in an alleged shootout in front of his house, which he reportedly used as a drug den, in Barangay 188 at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police officers arrested Abvilin Ali, 18, and Majid Ebedin, 35, who were talking with Legaspi.

Also in Caloocan, a still unidentified assailant shot dead tricycle driver Renato de Guzman, 48, in Barangay 143 at around 4 p.m.

De Guzman was waiting for passengers at a terminal when a man, whose face was covered by a towel, shot him at pointblank range, police said.

His sister told police they were not interested in having his death investigated.

In Quezon City, at least 14 suspects were arrested in separate operations on Thursday.

Mark Joseph Perez, 19, was arrested in a sting in Barangay San Martin de Porres.

Mario Tongco, 19; Joshua Barraquio, 26; Ariel Banog, 30, and Efren Parale were caught using drugs under a bridge in Barangay Unang Sigaw.

Johnny Guingab, 43; Gilbert Cajical, 47; Rommel Abad, 43; Emil Cabling, 39; Eduardo Pili, 40; and Ronmar Romero, 28, were caught in a pot session in a house in Barangay Pinyahan.

Ramon Aquino, 31; Clarita Casillo, 39; and Sheryl Lopez, 25, were caught in a sting in Barangay Bagbag. – With Rey Galupo, Romina Cabrera