P68 million shabu seized, 2 suspects slain in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines — Anti-narcotics officers confiscated around 10 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P68 million from two suspected drug dealers who were killed in what police said was a shootout in Quezon City yesterday afternoon.

The suspects were killed in an encounter with operatives of the Quezon City Police District’s drug enforcement unit along Pook Arboretum Road in Barangay UP Campus at around 3:45 p.m.

Probers said they have yet to identify the slain suspects.

Prior to the shootout, the suspects reportedly negotiated a deal with a police officer who posed as a buyer.

Authorities said the suspects pulled out handguns and opened fire at the police after sensing it was an entrapment operation.

The suspects were hit during the exchange of gunfire and pronounced dead on arrival at the East Avenue Medical Center. There were no casualties on the police side.

Police said they recovered drugs placed in plastic packs and two .45-caliber handguns from the suspects.

Drug watchlist

Meanwhile, chiefs of police across the country have been ordered to update their drug watchlists to sustain the war on drugs before President Duterte’s term ends in June.

Philippine National Police (PNP) director for operations Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon said he issued the order to ramp up intelligence-gathering efforts to identify drug traffickers who continue to operate.

“We cannot lower our guard because there will be new players who may take over the operations of drug traffickers that we neutralized. We should not allow that to happen,” De Leon said.

He reminded police commanders to continue the campaign against illegal drugs as a projection of confidence that president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would continue President Duterte’s drug war.

The PNP said Marcos’ statement that he wanted Duterte to be his drug czar was a positive development. – Neil Jayson Servallos