8 drug suspects slain

MANILA, Philippines – Eight more drug suspects were added to the list of those slain in Luzon and the Visayas in the past two days.

One of them was the fourth most wanted drug suspect in La Union, who was gunned down by unidentified men yesterday morning.

Hermie Licudan was driving his motorcycle with his wife on their way to the Bacnotan municipal hall when two men on another motorcycle opened fire, said Chief Inspector Reynaldo Soria, town police chief.

Licudan was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bacnotan District Hospital.

Two men were killed in alleged shootouts with police in Barangay San Juan in Baras town and Barangay San Jose in Rodriguez, Rizal on Monday.

Two of the fatalities were identified as Leonardo Cawigan, alias Pong, and Marlon Morillo, 28.

An unidentified man was killed in a reported shootout with police in a sting in Barangay San Vicente in Angono.

In Bulacan, three men were killed and four others were arrested in anti-drug operations in Barangay San Juan in Balagtas town and Barangay FVR in Norzagaray.

Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director, said the fatalities were known only by their aliases of Ikong, Danny and Good Job.

Police said Jerome Carampatana, alias Vic-Vic, was killed in a shootout with anti-drug operatives in Barangay Blumentritt in Murcia, Negros Occidental on Monday night.

Senior Inspector Lawrence Gerald Bathan, Murcia police chief, said Carampatana drew his gun at a police officer who  posed as a buyer.

Carampatana was on the drug watchlist of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. He was the seventh most wanted drug suspect slain in police operations in Negros Occidental.

Meanwhile, the body of a man believed to be a victim of summary execution found in Barangay Manano in Mallig town on Monday was identified as the brother of a police officer.

Police Officer 3 Aidann de Peralta of the Allacapan police claimed the body of Darwin de Peralta yesterday, said Chief inspector Charlemagne Tabije, Mallig police chief.

Aidann said he was surprised that his brother was a drug personality.

Top suspects nabbed

In Pangasinan, Reynaldo Pugal, 42, one of the leaders of a known drug ring and ranked eighth on the drug watchlist of the Dagupan City police, was arrested in a sting in Barangay Bonuan Gueset on Monday.

Pugal was collared based on a warrant for illegal possession of firearms issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 41 Judge Emma Torio.

Garry Reano, 30, the sixth most wanted drug personality in Mercedes, Camarines Norte was arrested on Monday.

Superintendent Chitadel Gaoiran, spokesperson for the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police, said 12 drug personalities were arrested in simultaneous police operations in Bacoor, Indang and Dasmariñas in Cavite; Biñan City in Laguna and Mabini and Cuenca towns in Batangas yesterday.

P5-M shabu seized

In Capiz, at least 15 sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P5 million were seized during a raid on a house being rented by a certain Toto Alavaren at the St. Francis subdivision in Barangay Tanque in Roxas City at around 1:40 p.m. on Monday.

Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion, Capiz police chief, said Alavaren eluded arrest, but two boys aged 15 and 17, who were hired to repack shabu, were nabbed.

Nacion said Alavaren is operating in Roxas City and in Pilar and President Roxas towns.

In Butuan City, Frederick Padilla, a surgeon at the Butuan Medical Center, and his companion Jefrix Galos, alias Jepoy, were arrested in a sting at a lodging inn in Barangay San Ignacio on Monday night.

Police said three sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia and P1,700 in cash were recovered from the suspects.

In Koronadal City, a woman identified as Joy Castañeda was arrested for trying to sneak in two sachets of suspected shabu into the city jail on Monday.  The sachets were hidden in two packs of instant noodle. – Ed Amoroso, Jun Elias, Ric Spanu, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Francis Elevado, Non Alquitran, Raymund Catindig, Eva Visperas, Ben Serrano, Jennifer Rendon, John Unson, Gilbert Bayoran