3 drug suspects killed in gunfight with Bulacan cops

MANILA, Philippines – Three drug suspects were killed during a gunfight with elements of the San Jose Del Monte City Police Station on Sunday evening.

According to information from the Bulacan Police Provincial Office (PPO), the suspects were identified as a certain Jay-ar Borromeo, an alias “Liit”, and an alias “Jr.”  Of the three, only Borromeo was included in the drug watchlist of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Reports from Bulacan PPO acting director Col. Emma Libunao stated that the San Jose Del Monte officers were conducting a buy-bust operation that eventually led to an armed encounter after the suspects sensed that they were transacting with undercover agents.

“An armed encounter ensued when the suspects became suspicious that they were dealing with an undercover operative and immediately engaged by firing their firearms which were concealed in their tricycle, prompting the back-up police operatives to retaliate causing the death of the suspects,” the report said.

Bulacan’s Scene of the Crime Operations recovered one .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver and three pieces of spent cartridges, an improvised shotgun with a 12-gauge shotshell, an improvised handgun with one spent cartridge, and 13 cartridges of 9mm bullets.

Aside from these, other pieces of evidence obtained from the crime scene were 30 small sachets of shabu, the five hundred peso bill used by the officers as marked money, and the unregistered Kawasaki Barako motorcycle used as a tricycle.

The suspects’ bodies were brought to the Faith Funeral Homes. The two of the three suspects’ identities are still being verified.