3 suspected drug pushers shot dead in Ecija, Pangasinan

CABANATUAN CITY– Two suspected drug pushers were killed by unidentified gunmen in the Nueva Ecija towns of Cabaioa and San Antonio on Tuesday night (June 14), while a third alleged pusher was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men in Pangasinan’s Dagupan City on Tuesday afternoon.

Efren Damian, 60, died from gunshot wounds in the head when the assailants fired at his sari-sari (variety) store at 9 p.m. The attackers also wounded Damian’s 20-year-old girlfriend, Angeline Dar, who has been getting treatment for an arm injury, said investigator PO3 John Ignacio.

At the same time in San Antonio town, Antonio Reyes, Jr. was shot dead by a lone suspect. Police said Reyes was attacked as he sat on a bench by the roadside.

Earlier in Dagupan City, motorcycle-riding gunmen killed Sonny Zacarias, who was walking along the narrow street of sitio Puelay in Barangay (village) Caranglaan when he was shot at 1:30 p.m., said Supt. Christopher Abrahano, city police chief.

His attackers left a hand-written note beside Zacarias’ body, which states: “Wag tularan adik tulak ako DDS (Do not emulate. Addict. I peddle DDS).”

Abrahano said crime scene investigators also found two sachets of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) in one of Zacarias’ pockets.

He said that Zacarias was in the watchlist of the village’s anti-drug abuse council and had a pending homicide case at a regional trial court here.

Abrahano said the note might have been a ploy to mislead investigators.

But since 2014, five cases involving the shooting of suspected criminals also had handwritten notes beside their bodies.  SFM