2 drug suspects slain in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Two men linked to the illegal drug trade were shot dead by still unidentified assailants in Manila yesterday.

Danilo Yap was found dead at past midnight yesterday in front of a sari-sari store along 12th street in Barangay 650 in Port Area, Manila.

A barangay official told police the victim was a known drug courier who had even been involved in selling fake shabu, according to case investigator Police Officer 3 Ryan Jay Balagtas.

Yap died from gunshot wounds in the head, chest, face and left hand. 

Hours later, at 3:30 a.m., motorcycle-riding assailants fired at Teddy Angeles in front of a supermarket along Juan Luna street in Tondo.

A closed-circuit television footage showed that Angeles was sitting on his tricycle when an assailant shot him at close range in the neck and armpits.

The assailant escaped on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice.

The victim’s foster father, Samy Balalio, told police Angeles was a drug user, Balagtas said.

Police recovered a sachet of suspected shabu tucked in the victim’s underwear.

6 nabbed in drug den

Six persons were arrested at a motorcycle repair shop reportedly used as a drug den during a sting in Valenzuela City Friday.

Operatives of the Valenzuela police drug enforcement unit and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) staged a sting at a motorcycle repair shop in Barangay Ugong Friday night.

They arrested Noelito Demetion, who is part pf the drug watch list and surrendered under Oplan Tokhang but ended up pushing drugs, Valenzuela police chief Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Mendoza told The STAR by phone.

Demetion’s accomplice Emmanuel Marinias, a newly identified drug personality, has been using his motorcycle repair shop as a drug den, Mendoza added.

The suspects have been under surveillance by both the Valenzuela police and the PDEA, Mendoza said.

Operatives also arrested the suspects’ visitors – John Carl Gatdula and Egmadio Calixtro, who are both in the drug watchlist, and two newly identified drug personalities Manuel Abejo Jr. and Dennis Salvador.

Police and PDEA agents recovered seven sachets of suspected shabu with a street value of P75,000, drug paraphernalia, two .38 caliber revolvers with live ammunition as well as assorted spare parts of an M16 rifle replica.

The suspects will face charges of violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act as well as illegal possession of firearms.

In southern Metro Manila, five drug suspects were arrested since Friday.

Two men were nabbed for illegal gambling and allegedly using shabu as a prize in Makati City.

Police on patrol along Milflores Street in Barangay Rizal caught Joel Rosal Mendez, 33, and Joseph Marcelino Viray, 49, playing a card game called “ending” at around 11:45 a.m. Friday.

In Taguig City, police arrested Edmund Carreon de Castro, 42, and Anthony Jimenez Reyes, 36, in separate “Oplan Sita” operations in Barangays Hagonoy and New Lower Bicutan on Friday afternoon.

Police reportedly seized a sachet of shabu from De Castro and two sachets from Reyes.

Parañaque City police caught Dioscoro Gasis Llaman, 44, reportedly carrying two sachets of shabu.

He was riding his mountain bike along Macapagal Avenue in Barangay Tambo at around 12:30 a.m. yesterday and was suspected to be bringing the drugs to a buyer, police reported. Police also confiscated his bicycle and a cell phone. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Ghio Ong