Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jul 2016
Source: Manila Bulletin (The Philippines)
Contact:  http://www.mb.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/906
Authors: Francis T. Wakefield and Jenny F. Manongdo

WAR ON DRUGS CONTINUES; 6 KILLED, 1,545 SURRENDER

The war on illegal drugs continues with six suspected illegal drugs 
suspects, including a policeman on AWOL (Absence Without Official 
Leave), killed in three separate shootouts in Quezon City on Monday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, at the Eastern Police District yesterday, it was learned 
that 1,545 persons suspected to be involved in illegal drugs in the 
cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina, and San Juan have surrendered 
to authorities in accordance with the government's "Oplan Tokhang" in 
the period of July 1 to 8.

 From June 1 to 30, records show that 69 wanted persons were 
arrested, three of them on the top 10 most wanted persons list, and 
one from the list of top 10 most wanted persons in relation to illegal drugs.

Buy-bust In Quezon City, four of the six killed were identified as 
members of the Salvador Briones Drug Group and are also involved in 
carnapping, police Senior Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, QCPD 
director, said. They were only identified through aliases - Earl, 
Ignacio, John and Jake.

The four were killed in a buy-bust operation conducted along CP 
Garcia near corner Magiting St., Barangay UP Campus, Quezon City, at 
around 1:15 a.m. yesterday. The operation was led by operatives of 
the District Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Group 
(DAID-SOTG) under Police Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa.

Figueroa said a police posing as a buyer purchased 1100,000 worth of 
suspected shabu from the suspects. After receiving the money, the man 
identified as Jake sensed the buy-bust operation. He fired his gun at 
the buyer who was hit at the back. Fortunately, the police posing as 
a buyer was wearing a bullet proof vest.

Despite being ordered to surrender peacefully, the two members of the 
group identified as Earl and Ignacio opened fire at the policemen. 
Both men were killed in the shootout.

Meanwhile, the two others identified as John and Jake, escaped on a 
motorcycle but were cornered eventually on Maharlika St., near 
Elliptical Road in Barangay Old Capital Site.

They were also told to yield peacefully but opened fire at the 
operatives sparking a brief gunfight which led to the death of the 
two suspects.

Police investigators recovered as evidence four cal. 45 handguns, one 
big plastic bag containing almost one kilo of suspected shabu, a 
weighing scale, one stainless steel spoon, five pieces of aluminum 
foil strips with traces of shabu, one red Toyota Innova with plate 
number (ZBL-969) and the buy-bust operation money.

AWOL cop

Adding to the body count in the war against illegal drugs was the 
death of two other suspects, one of them a policeman who was on AWOL 
on Sunday. Both were killed during the conduct of Oplan kapak or 
Operation Katok Pakiusap.

The suspect was identified as Police Officer 2 (PO2) Ariel Policario 
Arnaiz. He allegedly drew out his gun and fired at the policemen of 
the Talipapa Police Station 3 (PS-3), Oplan "kapak."

Arnaiz missed but a bullet found his back, killing him.

Eleazar said records show that Arnaiz was formerly assigned at the 
QCPD's Police Station 8 in Project 4, before his transfer to the 
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Police Holding 
Administrative Unit. He has been on AWOL since February, 2015.

Opened fire at cops In another operation, another suspect who lived 
in a shanty behind the EDSA market along Old Samson Road, Barangay 
Apolinio Samson, was killed after he allegedly drew out his gun and 
opened fire at members of the La Loma Police Station 1. The firefight 
happened about 8 p.m. Sunday.

The drug suspect was identified as Carlito Santos, 43, a native of Isabela.

Police operatives recovered from the suspect a cal. 380 revolver, two 
pieces heat-sealed sachets of shabu, three live ammunition, and one 
fired cartridge.

Eleazar said the successive antiillegal drugs operation is part of 
the intensified implementation of Oplan Double Barrel in relation to 
Oplan "Kapak," which aims to neutralize small and big time drug 
personalities. 'One time big time operation' EPD Director Police 
Chief Superintendent Romulo E Sapitula launched a simultaneous 'One 
Time Big Time' Operation over the weekend that led to the 
apprehension of 198 drug personalities, persons with Warrant of 
Arrest and violators of city ordinances within Pasig, Marikina, 
Mandaluyong and San Juan City.

Police records show that from July 1 to 9, 17 persons were arrested 
by virtue of Warrant of Arrest; and four were apprehended for illegal 
drugs. An armed encounter with policemen resulted to the death of one 
person allegedly involved in illegal drugs. The operation also 
recorded the arrests of one of a most wanted persons, 56 for 
violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act, and 83 for violation of city ordinances.

Congested jails

With the arrests, Sapitula admitted there is now congestion in city 
jails especially in Marikina City where the detention cell is small.

The EPD chief said he is leaving the matter to the discretion of 
station commanders, if the congestion calls for a need to transfer 
the arrested persons to Police Community Precincts (PCP) to decongest 
city jails. (With a report from Chito Chavez)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom