Seven suspected drugs suspects, including a policeman who went on AWOL (absent without official leave), were killed in shootouts with cops in separate places in Quezon City and Caloocan City on Sunday and Monday.
Senior Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, QCPD director, said four of the six suspects slain in Quezon City police operations were members of the Salvador Briones Drug Group.
The four were identified through their aliases as “Earl”, “Ignacio”, “John” and “Jake”. The suspects were also involved in carnapping, according to police.
Eleazar said that the four drug group members sold R100,000 worth of shabu to a poseur-buyer during an entrapment set up by operatives of the District Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Group (DAID-SOTG) under Police Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa on CP Garcia near corner Magiting St., Brgy. UP Campus, Quezon City, at around 1:15 a.m. Monday.
After receiving the drug bust money, alias Jake sensed the presence of other operatives and realized that his buyer was a policeman. He drew his firearm and shot his buyer in the back. Fortunately, the police officer was wearing a bullet proof vest.
The back-up police team ordered suspects Earl and Ignacio to surrender peacefully, but they opted to shoot it out with the lawmen, leading to their death.
Suspects John and Jake tried to flee on board a motorcycle but were chased and cornered on Maharlika St., near Elliptical Road in Baranga Old Capital Site. They too refused to surrender and, instead, engaged the police operatives in a brief gunfight.
John and Jake died on the spot.
Police recovered from the four fallen drug suspects four .45-caliber pistols, one big plastic bag containing almost one kilo of shabu, one weighing scale, one stainless steel spoon, five pieces of aluminum foil strip with traces of shabu, one red Toyota Innova (ZBL-969), and the boodle money.
On Sunday, Eleazar said operatives of Talipapa Police Station killed AWOL cop PO2 Ariel Policarpio Arnaiz when he engaged them in a shootout during the implementation of Oplan KaPak or Operation Katok Pakiusap at No. 45 Virginia Drive, Rodriguez Subdivsion, Barangay Baesa.
In another operation, members of La Loma Police Station neutralized another drug suspect identified as Carlito Santos, alias “Kalbo”, 43, Isabela, after he fired shots at the approaching lawmen on Old Samson Road, Barangay Apolonio Samson, at about 8 p.m. Sunday.
Police recovered from Santos a .380 revolver, two pieces of heat-sealed sachets of shabu, three live ammunition, and one fired cartridge from .380 revolver.
Over in Tala, Caloocan City, an alleged drug peddler identified as Dominador Talusa, alias Dok, 60, was also killed in a brief gunfight with policemen during a drug sting at about 10:45 p.m., Sunday.
Talusa, who was also involved in gunrunning and carnapping, died on the spot from bullet wounds in the body, police said.
His two companions – Rocky Luisima, 26, and Rizalino dela Cruz, 32 – were arrested.
Senior Supt. Johnshon Almazan reported that Talusa fired shots at members of the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) who conducted an entrapment operation against him, triggering a shootout. (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD • ED MAHILUM)