Caloocan barangay exec, 3 others held for drugs

MANILA, Philippines — A barangay official and three others were arrested in a sting in North Caloocan Friday.

Abdul Asis Mamorenta, deputy task force head of Barangay 188, was arrested with Genelyn Marino, Saiben Acmad and his wife Salimah Acmad at Riverside in Tala, Barangay 188 at around 5:30 p.m.

Police recovered eight sachets of shabu weighing 14 grams and with a street value of P42,000.

Senior Inspector Cecilio Tomas Jr., Caloocan police drug enforcement unit chief, said the suspects were accused of being pushers by Alicia Esponelia, who was arrested earlier in the day with five others in a sting in Barangay 34.  Two sachets of shabu were seized from her.

Salimah Acmad’s 65-year-old mother Soraida Gamuranao was arrested Friday night for allegedly bribing Police Officer 2 Christian Santos with P50,000 for her daughter’s release.

She even brought her one-year-old grandchild supposedly to appeal to the police officer’s emotion.

While police said the elderly woman bribed the officer for her daughter’s release, the daughter said her mother was just ordered to bring the money for Mamorenta’s release.

1 dead in shootout

In Quezon City, a jeepney barker, alleged to be a pusher, was slain in an alleged shootout with police on Friday.

Police officers were reportedly about to serve an arrest warrant against Luisito Gonzales at his home in Barangay Sta. Monica at around 10:45 p.m. when he alleged shot at the lawmen, said Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel, Quezon City Police District director.

Gonzales died at the scene. Probers recovered a .38 caliber revolver and two sachets of shabu from the suspect.

Nineteen other drug suspects were arrested in the city since Friday. Two women were also arrested in a drug sting in Marikina on Friday.  – With Emmanuel Tupas