BY DANNY ESTACIO
A member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) tagged as leader of a drug syndicate was killed Thursday when he allegedly resisted arrest during a buy-bust operation launched by police in Barangay Bunggo, Calamba City, Laguna.
Police said the slain suspect, Jail Officer 3 Joseph Rey Villegas, 49, assigned to BJMP facility in San Pablo City, was included in President Duterte’s drug list.
According to police report, Villegas, a resident of Calamba City, was the leader of the “Villegas Drug Group” operating in Laguna 2nd District. He was marked as a high-value drug target in the province.
Based on the report, combined operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Laguna Police, Regional Intelligence Division, Regional Special Operations Unit, 1st Laguna Provincial Mobile Force Company, and Calamba City Police Station launched an operation against the suspect around 10:10 a.m. Thursday.
The suspect reportedly resisted arrest and fought it off with the law enforcers. He was wounded and rushed to the Calamba Doctor’s Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Police seized from him 50 grams of shabu, the buy-bust money, and a Taurus .9mm pistol issued by the BJMP.
Probers also recovered from the scene fired cartridge cases of 5.56 rifles and .9mm pistol, several ammunition, and a Suzuki Raider motorcycle.
The report revealed that Villegas’ illegal drugs came from high-value drug personalities detained at BJMP facility in San Pablo City.
Police said Villegas controlled and managed the drug group’s operation with the help of his wife, Joy Manaig Villegas, who was arrested for the violation of the anti-drugs law on June 19, 2018 but later released due to technicalities in the process of court proceedings in Regional Trial Court of Calamba City. (Danny Estacio)
