Cop, drug suspect dead in Parañaque shootout

MANILA, Philippines — A police officer and an alleged drug user were killed while another policeman was wounded in a shootout in Parañaque City on Sunday evening.

Lt. Armand Melad was pronounced dead by doctors at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay City while  Cpl. Allan Baltazar was being treated for his wounds.

The drug suspect identified as Moamar Sarif died upon arrival at Ospital ng Parañaque.

Hospital personnel reportedly found in his possession a maroon sling bag containing a sachet of “shabu” (crystal meth) weighing 0.3 grams with a street value of P2,040.

A police report said that around 9:45 p.m. Sunday, Melad and Baltazar, along with Staff Sgt. Lenard Quindo of the Parañaque police community precinct 1, were responding to a complaint about the noise caused by a videoke machine when they spotted the suspect and another man on a motorcycle without a helmet.

When they flagged down the suspects at the corner of Unida and Dimasalang Streets in Barangay Baclaran, the back rider later identified as Sarif took out a gun and fired at the policemen, the report added.

Melad and Baltazar were hit while Quindo fired back, hitting the suspect in the head as the motorcycle driver escaped.

Around 24 shells from a .40-caliber pistol and a 9mm firearm were found at the crime scene. Investigators also recovered a .40-caliber Jericho pistol with serial number 39319738 from Sarif.

—Dexter Cabalza