5 slain in drug busts

MANILA, Philippines — Five suspects were killed in anti-drug operations in Central Luzon on Tuesday.

Noel Guilas, 60, a resident of Barangay San Bautista Betis, Guagua, Pampanga; Alberto Concepcion of Luyos, San Antonio; John Armer Romero of San Juan, and Danilo Evallar of Bernardo district, Cabanatuan, all in Nueva Ecija, as well as Charlie Flores of Bitungol, Norzagaray, Bulacan shot it out with police officers, according to reports reaching Camp Olivas.

Police said 22 sachets of shabu, a caliber .45 pistol, four caliber .38 revolvers and marked money were recovered from the suspects.

 In Misamis Oriental, the sons of provincial jail warden Dominador Tagarda, Bon Clinton and Gregor, were arrested yesterday for alleged possession of shabu.

Wilkins Villanueva, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Northern Mindanao director, said the suspects yielded 25 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P170,000 during raids on their homes in Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City. – Gerry Lee Gorit