6 drug, crime suspects slain in Calabarzon

SAN PEDRO CITY – Six men tagged either as illegal drug pushers or criminals were killed in separate shootouts with the police in the Calabarzon region.

A consolidated report from the regional police headquarters on Saturday said three of the suspects were killed in anti-drug operations on Friday in Batangas and Laguna.

In a buy-bust operation in Barangay Lipahan, San Juan, Batangas, the police killed suspects Reynaldo Javier alias “Manoy” and Christopher Hinteroy.

Police records showed that both men were arrested for theft but released last May. Javier was also included in the police watchlist for illegal drugs.

Javier was the first to fire shots followed by Hinteroy during the drug transaction. They were hit when the police fired back and died on the way to the San Juan District Hospital.

The police recovered two guns of calibers .38 and .22 and the suspects’ motorcycle.

In Biñan City, Laguna, police killed Arthur Alonde in a buy-bust around 3 p.m. Friday in Barangay Dela Paz.

Alonde and another suspect identified only as “Julius” sold P1,000 worth of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) to an undercover policeman, the report said.

When the police were about to arrest them, Julius ran away leaving behind Alonde, who began to fire. He was killed when the police retaliated.

Thieves

In Antipolo City, Rizal, police killed two suspected thieves in a shootout around 11 p.m. in Barangay Sta. Cruz.

The suspects allegedly took at gunpoint a motorcycle from a customer of a nearby gasoline station.

The city police station alerted a patrol team, which chased the suspects.

The suspects, whom police have not yet identified, engaged authorities in a gunfight. Both were killed.

The police recovered two guns and the stolen motorcycle.

Indiscriminate firing

In Barangay San Andres, Cainta, Rizal, the police killed Rey Lagitan, around 3:30 p.m. Friday.

According to the report, the policemen were responding to an information of indiscriminate gun firing.

When they arrived, Lagitan allegedly fired at them, resulting in the shootout. It was not immediately clear what prompted the suspect to do so.