Navotas police defends killing of 3 drug suspects

MANILA, Philippines — Col. Rolando Balasabas, Navotas City police chief, said there were no irregularities in the buy-bust operation that led to the death of three alleged drug personalities last week.

Arnel “Arabo” Bagamasbad, JayR “Buwaya” Jumola and a certain Gurang were killed on Champaca Alley in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South at 2:50 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to the police, the suspects opened fire first on operatives of the Navotas police’s Station Drug Enforcement Unit. A fourth suspect identified only as alias “Vandam” escaped.

A witness, however, claimed he saw the suspects surrender to the police. He said he even heard Jumola pleading for his life.

“We don’t concoct scenarios,” Balasabas told the Inquirer when sought for comment.

He added that the city was focused on ridding each barangay of drugs, but “we don’t want trouble.”

Their goal, he added, was to arrest illegal drug peddlers and persuade drug users to surrender.

Police reported the recovery of five packs of “shabu” (crystal meth) from the crime scene near Agora Market. Balasabas said that each pack was worth P50,000 and enough to make 50 sachets of shabu.