Cops kill 4 men in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Four unidentified men were killed in alleged shootouts with police officers in Tondo, Manila before dawn yesterday.

The first encounter occurred in front of the Luxe Bloom Flower Shop at the corner of Abad Santos Avenue and Antipolo street around 1:30 a.m.

Police Officer 3 Dennis Turla, Manila Police District (MPD) homicide investigator, said they are still trying to identify the two fatalities, who were between 25 and 30 years old.

One of them was wearing a green shirt, black short pants, and had a “BCJ” tattoo, indicating that he was a member of the Batang City Jail gang.

The second one was wearing printed white shirt and yellow short pants and had the name “Bem” tattooed on his right leg.

Probers recovered a .38 caliber revolver with four bullets, a .45 caliber pistol with serial number 394327 and nine sachets of shabu.

Prior to the incident, MPD Station 7 personnel manning the tactical operation center received a call from a concerned citizen that two armed men on a motorcycle without plate number were roaming the stretch of Abad Santos Avenue.

Operatives of the Tayuman police community precinct, led by Police Officer 2 Jimmy Pelagio, went to the area to verify the report.

Before Pelagio and his colleagues could come nearer, the suspects reportedly opened fire, triggering a brief shootout that led to their deaths, police said.

Two more unidentified men were killed in another alleged shootout along Road 10 at around 2:45 a.m.

Homicide investigator Senior Police Officer 4 Glenzor Vallejo said both men were between 30 and 35 years old, at least 5’6” tall and wore surgical masks.

Members of the MPD’s Smokey Mountain police community precinct were conducting Oplan Sita near the bridge along Road 10 when they saw the men on a motorcycle without plate number running on the opposite side of the road. 

The men, seeing the police officers, tried to escape under the bridge but the operatives gave chase, resulting in a shootout, Vallejo said. 

Police allegedly recovered two .38 caliber revolvers, 13 sachets of shabu and a black Skydrive motorcycle from the scene.

7 others held for drugs

At least seven persons were arrested in anti-drug operations in Manila and Marikina over the weekend.

Juanito Ramos, 22, was apprehended at the corner of Quirino Avenue and West Zamora street in Pandacan, Manila after he was reportedly caught with two sachets of shabu at around 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Four hours later, Jaylourd Cadano, 21, and Marvin Boado, 24, both of Makati City were arrested after four sachets of marijuana were seized from them in front of a convenient store at the corner of Pedro Gil and Main street in Paco at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

In Marikina, Jolandel Pable, Milanio Javier and Emme Mandapat were allegedly selling illegal drugs in Barangay Malanday when a concerned citizen tipped off members of Police Community Precinct 4.

Responding police officers arrested the three, who allegedly yielded two sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. – With Non Alquitran