Manila drug war: 5 dead in 3 days

MANILA, Philippines — Five alleged pushers were killed by police in Manila over the past three days in alleged shootouts during drug stings.

Before dawn on Friday, Joseph Dalisay, 29, was killed in a drug sting in Barangay 107, Tondo. Police recovered a handgun and three sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

On Thursday, Luisito Torilla, 39, and Ricardo Reyes, 20, were killed for allegedly fighting back during a sting at the Manila North Cemetery. Two revolvers and 10 sachets of shabu were recovered from them.

In Malate, Adrian Acuzar was slain in an alleged firefight during a drug sting along Arellano Avenue. Police recovered a revolver and seven sachets of shabu.

On Wednesday, a man identified only as Ivan, who was in the drug watchlist, was killed in a sting in Parola Compound. Police recovered a .45 caliber pistol and a sachet of shabu.

Ivan was the subject of an arrest warrant for the murder of Tranquilito Vuelga, the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau personnel who was shot in the head while resting in the MTPB satellite office in Parola Compound on April 18.

Shabu seized

Meanwhile, nearly a kilo of shabu was seized in separate operations since Friday.

Two men identified only as Arnel and Oscar were arrested in a sting in Barangay BF Homes in Parañaque yesterday morning. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives seized 500 grams of shabu with a street value of P3.4 million.

In Manila, tricycle drivers Paco Morside, Abdulla Samir and Datukaka Ton Ton as well as Pasawilan Ebrahim, who is jobless, were caught with 490 grams of shabu, with a street value of P1.96 million, in a sting a in Tondo Friday afternoon.– Robertzon Ramirez, Rey Galupo