7 drug suspects, 3 others kailled

MANILA, Philippines — Seven drug suspects, including a barangay chairman, were gunned down in separate incidents in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan in the past two days.

Two college students and a tricycle driver were also found dead in Rizal yesterday.

Reynaldo delos Santos, 51, chairman of Barangay Pula, Cabanatuan, was standing in front of the barangay hall when motorcycle-riding men pulled over and opened fire. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Premier General Hospital.

Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, said Delos Santos was a “high-value” drug target of the Cabanatuan police.

A certain Arwin Abregana, alias Tongie, a resident of Barangay Iba-Ibayo, Hagonoy; Erick Tabunda of Mapulang Lupa, Pandi; an alias Juanito of Balungao, Calumpit; Dada of Sta. Ines, Plaridel, and Erick Canicon and Ver of Mojon, Malolos shot it out with anti-drug operatives in stings in their respective areas, Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police acting director, said.

Caramat said guns, sachets of shabu and marked money were recovered from the fatalities.

Students stabbed dead

The bodies of Charmaine Villarias, 21, and her boyfriend John Vincent Umiten, which bore stab wounds, were found by a security guard in a grassy portion of Mt. Zion at Amityville Subdivision in Barangay San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal at about 12:30 p.m.

The victims were still wearing their school uniforms. Their hands and feet were bound with shoelaces and handkerchiefs.

Probers are still trying to determine if Villarias, who was found with no underwear, was raped.

Teacher Rialen Ergima, who identified Villarias at the morgue, said the victims, who were classmates at the Colegio de Montalban, left the school at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police said the cell phones and other personal belongings of the victims were missing.

Meanwhile, the search for a tricycle driver who failed to return home after asking permission from his parents to visit his girlfriend ended in a morgue in Antipolo, Rizal.

Jimwell Carigma drove their family car to Teresa town at around 5 p.m., his father Ronald said.

Carigma suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The car, which bore bullet holes with its windshield destroyed, was recovered at the Teresa police station.

A witness said three men wearing jackets with hoods blocked Carigma’s car and shot him after a brief scuffle before they escaped.

An investigation is ongoing. – Non Alquitran, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Ric Sapnu