CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, BULACAN—The province of Bulacan, tagged in human rights reports as ground zero of drug war killings in the Philippines, appeared to live up to its notoriety after four drug suspects were killed in a series of anti-drug operations on Thursday (Aug. 29).
Col. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan police chief, said the four drug suspects resisted arrest and opened fire, the all too familiar way drug suspects get killed in police operations.
The four dead men were identified as Jay-R Ansiboy, Rommel Banay, Amador Medina and Reynaldo del Rosario.
Ansibay and Banay were the first to fall in a volley of gunfire when they allegedly shot at police at the village of Gaya-Gaya in San Jose del Monte town around 1 a.m. on Thursday.
Medina was the next to fall around 2 a.m., about an hour later, when he alleged exchanged gunfire with policemen at the village of Masagana in Pandi town.
Del Rosario was the fourth to die after he and a companion allegedly clashed with policemen during an operation around 4:30 a.m.
Police said Del Rosario’s companion managed to escape.
Four firearms, 20 small plastic sachets of “shabu” (crystal meth), ammunition, paraphernalia and a motorcycle were recovered from the suspects
Fifteen other drug suspects were also arrested in a series of anti-narcotics operations in the province. Carmela Reyes-Estrope/tsb