10 dead in Calabarzon anticrime drive
SAN PEDRO CITY—Ten people were killed in anticrime operations led by the police in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) from Wednesday night to Friday morning. Among those slain in shootouts were two men who robbed a woman in this city and suspected drug pusher Hubert Vergara in Calamba City, both in Laguna province. In Cavite province, Mama Pagetoden and a man identified only as Onel were killed in antidrug operations in Bacoor City and Silang town, respectively. In Quezon province, two men were killed in separate drug busts in the villages of Isabang and Dalahican in Lucena City. In Batangas province, drug suspects Robinson Coloma and Jerome Moreno were killed in a gunfight with policemen in Nasugbu town. In Balayan town, Dennis Pantoja, a suspected member of the Maamyog drug group, was killed after a firefight with lawmen at 2 a.m. on Friday. —MARICAR CINCO AND DELFIN MALLARI JR.
P60M sugar, firecrackers seized in Subic
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Smuggled sugar and firecrackers worth P60 million were confiscated by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) here on Friday. BOC district collector, Maritess Martin, said 34 vans that were declared as containing floor mats and plastic floor coverings were found loaded with 21,760 bags of refined sugar from Thailand. Martin said another van contained several boxes of firecrackers. The smuggled sugar and firecrackers arrived from Hong Kong on March 31 and April 7, respectively, and were consigned to JRFP International Trading, she said. Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, who led the seizure of the shipments here, immediately ordered the revocation of the customs accreditation of the importer and customs broker. —JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT