5 drug suspects slain in shootouts

MANILA, Philippines — At least five suspected pushers and users were killed in alleged shootouts with police in Manila and Parañaque yesterday.

Arnold Concido, 34; Ariel Buenaventura, 45; Ryan Diwata, 35; and a man identified only as Dos were declared dead on arrival at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, according to Superintendent Julius Domingo, Manila Police District Station 3 commander.

Domingo told The STAR he arranged a drug bust after an informant confirmed the presence of Concido, the subject of the operation, at a house at the corner of Palanca street and Quezon Boulevard at around 2:20 p.m.

After a police officer was able to buy a sachet of shabu from Concido, Domingo and his men moved to arrest the suspect and his alleged accomplices, who reportedly shot at the lawmen, triggering a firefight.

Probers recovered four .38 caliber revolvers, several sachets of shabu and marked money at the crime scene.

In Parañaque, an alleged pusher and robber identified only as “Tarat” was killed in an alleged shootout with police following a sting along Macapagal Avenue at around 1:30 a.m.

Tarat’s unidentified companion sped away on a motorcycle.

Probers reported recovering an improvised .38 caliber revolver, sachets of shabu and marked money from Tarat as well as four .38 caliber bullets and bullet casings, five 9mm bullets and a small black bag from the crime scene.

Police also arrested 23 drug suspects in Quiapo and eight in Tondo and Sampaloc, all in Manila; 11 in Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela, and Navotas; and five in eastern Metro Manila in the past two days. – Ghio Ong, Non Alquitran