5 found dead in Bulacan drug den

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan  , Philippines  —  Five persons were found dead in a suspected drug den in Purok 4, Barangay San Pedro in this city yesterday morning.

A report by Lt. Col. Orlando Castil Jr., city police chief, identified four of the fatalities as Juliet Fernandez, the owner of the house; Norberto Oden; Manuelito Bergonio, alias Noknok, and a certain  Mel Diezel.

Villager Sergio Yumol discovered the bodies of the victims, which bore gunshot wounds, at around 6:10 a.m.

Seven sachets of shabu and bullet shells for a caliber .45 and caliber .40 guns were recovered at the scene.

Castil said the fatalities were allegedly involved in the distribution of shabu in the city.

Probers are interviewing residents and checking footage of closed-circuit television cameras at the scene to identify the assailants.

Meanwhile, in Laguna, police said Rolando Medina, alias Duay, was shot dead in a drug bust in Sitio Magalang, Barangay Real, Calamba City at around 1 a.m. also yesterday.

Col. Eleazar Matta, Laguna police director, said Medina was on the drug watchlist.

“His neutralization will greatly reduce drug supply in the city and its neighboring areas,” Matta said.

In Pampanga, 40 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P300,000 were allegedly recovered from Norman Calaguas and his partner Jennnifer Soriano in a sting in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat on Wednesday.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera director Edgar Apalla said 10 grams of shabu valued at P70,000 were recovered from Matty Yanes in an anti-drug operation at Camp Henry Allen in Baguio City.

Police said Mede Catindoy, who was arrested in a drug bust in Barangay San Marinao, Lal-lo, Cagayan, also on Wednesday, yielded a caliber .22 revolver and a hand grenade. – With Romina Cabrera, Non Alquitran, Raymund Catindig