Anti-drug cop, several drug suspects slain in Calabarzon

SAN PEDRO CITY – A member of the Drug Enforcement Team in Morong town, Rizal province was gunned down Tuesday, the police said on Wednesday.

The victim, Police Officer 1 Gemmo Meneses of the Morong police, was seen driving his motorcycle around 5 p.m. Tuesday along East Road in Barangay Maybangcal, according to a report from the Calabarzon police.

A witness told the police that three vans suddenly cut his way, forcing Meneses to pull over. Multiple gunshots were then heard and the victim was seen down on the ground.

Witnesses rushed Meneses to a hospital but was declared dead.

The police report said Meneses was involved in the conduct of buy-bust operations and counter intelligence police operations.

In Cavite province, a suspected drug pusher and thief identified only as alias Nano was killed in a police shootout around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Olaes, General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) town.

The suspect was listed in the police intelligence watchlist both in the towns of Silang and GMA.

The same regional police report said Nano, on a motorcycle, ignored a police checkpoint. Authorities chased him but he began to open fire, prompting the police to shoot back and kill him.

Still in Cavite, police are investigating the killing of Gerald Sarabia and Christian Flores.

Sarabia was gunned down 4 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Poblacion, Rosario town by still unidentified assailants.

Police said Sarabia was previously involved in the illegal drugs trade and was out on bail for a 2015 drug case.

Flores, on the other hand, was found dead under a bridge in Barangay Salitran 3 in Dasmariñas City, around 9 a.m. Tuesday. Village officials said Flores was a known thief.

In Lobo town, Batangas province, illegal drug suspect Ronald Reyes was killed in a
shootout around 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The police report said authorities conducted a buy-bust operation in Reyes’ residence in Barangay Poblacion.

According to the report, Police Officer 2 McDonald Rey Napa, who went undercover, was about to arrest Reyes when the latter suddenly fired his gun.

Napa returned fire and hit Reyes, who died on the way to the Lobo Municipal Hospital.

The police recovered a .45 caliber gun and two sachets of suspected shabu (crystal meth).