Police killed four more suspected drug pushers in Metro Manila in two separate operations that ended in alleged shootout and attempted hostage-taking yesterday morning.
Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said the first gunfight occurred in Barangay Tunasan, Muntinlupa City, which involved two brothers who were connected with the most wanted illegal drug personality in the city identified as Dennis Esmeralda.
He identified the two fatalities as brothers Rolando and Julius Dizon.
The two were reportedly engaged in illegal gambling in Barangay Tunasan at around 1 a.m. when the cops spotted them.
They were then invited for questioning after they allegedly yielded a handgun and some 150 grams of shabu.
“During transport for medical examination, suspects suddenly grabbed SPO1 Emmie Baldovino, a female operative, and seized her service firearm,” said Albayalde.
The other companions of Baldovino then shot the two, one of them died on the spot while the other one succumbed to bullet wounds in a hospital.
Two hours later, anti-narcotics agents of the Manila Police District killed two more dug suspects following a buy-bust along Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, Manila.
Albayalde said the two initially agreed to sell some 100 grams of shabu after police agents were able to contact them.
“After the money was handed, one of the two suspects noticed that it was a boodle money. This prompted him to draw his gun after sensing that he was dealing with a policeman,” said Albayalde.
The suspect was later identified as a certain Rashid. He was shot allegedly after the police poseur buyer grabbed the gun from him.
Rashid’s companion, who was then hiding nearby, noticed the commotion and tried to help his companion. Bit he was shot too by other policemen nearby.
Seized from the suspects were four plastic sachets containing alleged shabu and two handguns from the two slain suspects.
The incident in Manila yesterday came two days after policemen killed five suspected drug pushers in a Moslem community also in Manila. (AARON B. RECUENCO)
