9 cops dismissed over drug suspects’ slay

TUGUEGARAO, Cagayan, Philippines — A former police chief, his deputy and seven other police officers in Cagayan have been dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the killing of two drug suspects.

Chief Inspector Edgar Unista, former Lasam town police chief; Senior Inspector Leon Umbrero Jr., Senior Police Officer 4 Ricardo Acoba, SPO2 Jonie Domingo, SPO1 Joel Balagan, PO3s Arthur Cortes Jr. as well as Glicerio Pernada Jr. and PO2s Bryan Piñera and Edgar Danguilan were charged with two counts of murder and grave misconduct last April 1.

The police officers allegedly killed Erwin Bicera and Walter Viloria, who were ranked first and fourth, respectively, on the drug watchlist, when the suspects refused to pull over at a checkpoint on July 26, 2016.

A witness refuted the claim of the police officers that there was a shootout.

Unista and his co-accused have been placed on floating status following the incident. They have appealed their dismissal.

3 gunned down

Meanwhile, in Batangas, Marlon Lubugan, 34, and Michael Adrias, 36, allegedly engaged anti-drug operatives in a shootout in Lian on Thursday.

The suspects were pronounced dead on arrival at the Apacible Memorial District Hospital.

Two caliber .45 pistols, four sachets of shabu, a motorcycle and P1,000 in marked money were recovered from the fatalities, police said.

Lubugan was previously arrested for illegal drugs, but the case was dismissed. Adrias was a known drug pusher in the town.

Drug suspect Mark Anthony Fezarit, 29, who was recently released from prison in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro was taken by four men in front of the Bagumbayan barangay hall. His body, which bore gunshot wounds, was later found in nearby Barangay Odiong. – With Emmanuel Tupas