4 drug suspects, lockdown violator slain; 800 offenders nabbed in Bulacan

CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan –– Four drug suspects and a lockdown violator were killed in separate police operations from late March to April while residents stayed indoors due to the Luzon-wide quarantine.

At 10:45 p.m. on Saturday (April 18), Virgilio Santos was killed in a clash with the police after he sold illegal drugs to an undercover agent along Caingin Bypass road in San Rafael town.

Reynaldo Bagtas and Franco Pantua died in a firefight with policemen at 8 p.m. on April 16 in Barangay Sto. Cristo at the City of San Jose del Monte during a drug bust.

Vergel Hernandez Laude was shot dead at 7:30 p.m. during an April 14 police sting operation at Upper Bigte village in Norzagaray town.

On March 24, an unidentified motorcycle rider broke through several police checkpoints in San Ildefonso town and was shot at about 2 a.m. when he tried to evade arrest.

The police arrested 800 offenders. More than 600 of them were linked to illegal drug operations, while more than 100 were alleged gamblers.

The rest were arrested for theft, physical altercations, and illegal fishing, or were subjects of warrants.

LZB