5 drug suspects killed in Cavite encounters

LUCENA CITY – Five alleged drug pushers were killed in separate police operations in Cavite province on Saturday and Sunday.

Police Colonel Marlon Santos, Cavite police chief, in a statement issued by the Cavite police public information office on Sunday afternoon, identified the slain suspected drug personalities as Avril Castro, who was included in the drug watch list and was alleged member of “Bautista Gang”; Christian James Pagarao, also tagged as a member of the said gang; Fritz Marion Florentino; Ricky Perez; and one still unidentified member of Bautista Gang.

They were killed in armed encounters with police in Imus City, as well as the towns of Rosario and Naic.

The report did not provide details about the buy-bust operations that allegedly led to armed encounters between policemen and the slain suspects except for the locations.

Police said 55 drug suspects were collared in 38 buy-bust operations where 190 plastic sachets of shabu (crystal meth) and dried marijuana leaves were seized.

The volume of confiscated illegal drugs was not specified in the report.

Meanwhile, cops armed with arrest warrants have nabbed nine wanted criminals, arrested 39 illegal gamblers, and accosted 75 violators of the coronavirus (COVID-19) community quarantine protocols in different municipalities.

On Saturday, Cavite police also reported that three alleged drug personalities were also slain in armed encounters after they resisted arrest during drug sting operations in Bacoor City, General Trias City and General Mariano Alvarez town.

JE