4 suspects killed in Bulacan drug busts; 23 others arrested

Four alleged drug pushers were killed while 23 other suspects were arrested in separate operations conducted by Bulacan police early Saturday morning.

Bulacan Police Provincial Office Director Police Colonel Chito Bersaluna identified the slain suspects as John Frederick Mallo or "Jhay Jhay Mallo,"  who was on a drug watchlist; Eugenio Lopez or "Enyong", 39; an alias "Van"; and an alias "Jay."

According to San Jose Del Monte City Police Station chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Castil Jr., Mallo was killed after reportedly firing at drug enforcement operatives during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Paculis, Barangay Gaya-gaya in San Jose Del Monte at 1:40 a.m.

Mallo's unidentified cohort managed to elude arrest using a motorcycle.

Recovered at the scene were a revolver loaded with three fired cartridge cases and one live round; nine heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, a coin purse, and a five hundred-peso marked bill.

Meanwhile, in Barangay San Rafael I, San Jose Del Monte, policemen gunned down suspect Lopez and his accomplices, "Van" and "Jay", in a shootout that occurred at around 12:45 a.m.

Police said the suspects fired first after realizing they were dealing with undercover operatives. They reportedly drew their weapons and fired shots, prompting the operatives to retaliate.

Recovered from this scene were several firearms, fired and live ammunition, as well as 20 plastic sachets of suspected shabu, two aluminum foil strips, an improvised tooter, and a five hundred-peso bill of buy-bust money.

Arrests

Separate anti-illegal drug operations conducted by the SJDM, San Miguel, Bocaue and Santa Maria police stations resulted in the arrest of seven other drug suspects who were reportedly caught while selling illegal drugs to undercover agents.

According to Bersaluna, SJDM police arrested drug suspects identified as Ramil Veluz, 45; Toribio Orilly Jr., 40; and Romel Ternola, 47. 

San Miguel police nabbed a suspect identified as Frederick Tecson, 40, a surrenderee in Oplan Tokhang last 2016.

Bocaue police arrested a suspect identified as Vandamme Bongosia, 22, along with a  17-years-old out of-school-youth.

Santa Maria police, on the other hand, nabbed a suspect identified as Reymar Dichosa alias "Reymar," 31.

Seized from the suspects were 16 plastic sachets of suspected shabu; two heat-sealed sachets of dried marijuana leaves; buy-bust money, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

The confiscated evidence was brought to Bulacan Crime Laboratory for appropriate examination, while criminal complaints for violation of RA 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Acts of 2002) was being prepared against the suspects.

6 wanted persons

The police also identified six wanted persons who were arrested by tracker teams from the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), and police officers from the Marilao, Santa Maria, Bocaue, Calumpit, and Pandi Municipal Police Stations.

The suspects were identified as Crisostomo Dennis Dela Cruz alias "Dennis C. Dela Cruz", 42, arrested by Marilao police for violation of Sec 5(e) (2) of RA 9262 and violation of Sec 5(i) of RA 9262; Eleonor Mendoza, 39, arrested by Santa Maria police for violation of Sec. 22 (a) in relation to Sec 22(d) and 28 (e) or RA 1161 as amended by RA 8282; Albania Celeste Cayanan, 40, arrested by Bocaue police for violation of BP 22; Mercedita Oste, 45, arrested by Calumpit police for violation of BP 22; Ryan Tolentino, 27, arrested by 1st PMFC for "less serious physical injuries; and Taiguro Catamora , 38, arrested by Pandi police for violation of Section 5 (a) of R.A. 9262.

Police said that all the arrested suspects were in the custody of the respective Municipal police stations for proper disposition. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM, GMA News