58th to fall: Resisting suspect dies in drug bust

ILOILO CITY, Philippines —  Another suspected drug pusher was killed in an anti-drug operation at Molo district in Iloilo City Monday morning. Police identified the slain drug suspect as Alex Blanca Sr., 52, a resident of Barangay Boulevard in Molo.

Members of the PNP Regional Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (RDEU-6) and the Molo Police Station sent two assets and an undercover police agent to transact with Blanca, near the latter’s house.  Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, RDEU-6 team leader, said the poseur buyers were able to buy 1.5 grams of shabu worth P15,200 from the suspect.

However, Blanca quickly noticed that he was paid with a boodle money, and immediately ran into his house, got his .38-caliber revolver and a grenade. He went out and shot at the policemen twice but his gun jammed.

The operatives returned fire and hit Blanca, five times on his body. But they could not bring him to the hospital because they saw the grenade fell off the suspect’s hand.

Bermejo said they had to ask assistance first from the PNP Explosives Ordnance Division to check on the grenade, which safety pin was later found to be not completely pulled out. Blanca was then brought to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Recovered from Blanca’s possession were five sachets of shabu, a brown envelope with P15,200 cash, a mobile phone, an M26 hand grenade, and a caliber .38 revolver loaded with ammunition.

It was gathered that the suspect was considered a street-level pusher who used to work for Johan Mino alias Moran, and underling of Melvin Odicta Sr., a slain top drug personality in Western Visayas.

Blanca is the 58th suspect to be killed during anti-drugs police operations in Western Visayas since the government went on aggressive campaign against illegal drugs, and the ninth fatality since the government renewed its anti-drug drive on December 5, last year.

Superintendent Joem Malong, Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) spokesman, said the killing of Odicta and his wife Meriam on August 29, 2016 in Malay, Aklan, was not counted, because the incident was not an anti-drug operation, and was considered a homicide case under investigation.

Antique province had the highest number of slain drug suspects with 19, Malong added.