Drug suspects fall as street killings continue

CABANATUAN CITY—Two suspected drug pushers were killed by unidentified gunmen in the towns of Cabiao and San Antonio in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, while a third suspect was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in Dagupan City in Pangasinan, also on Tuesday.

Gunmen fired at Efren Damian, 60, in the head while he was manning his sari-sari store in Cabiao around 9 p.m. He died instantly. His girlfriend, Angeline Dar, 20, was hit in the arm.

In San Antonio town, Antonio Reyes Jr. was shot and killed by a lone suspect as he sat on a bench by the roadside.

In Dagupan City, two motorcycle-riding men shot dead Sonny Zacarias, who was walking on a narrow street in Sitio Puelay in Barangay Caranglaan.

His attackers left a handwritten note beside his body, which said: “Do not emulate. Addict. I peddle drugs. DDS.”

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

Zacarias was among the drug suspects on the watch list of the village’s antidrug abuse council and is facing a homicide case at a regional trial court in Dagupan, police said.

In Laguna province, a suspected illegal drug trader was killed in a gunfight with policemen in Sta. Rosa City early Wednesday, police said.

Insp. Roselle Orate, Laguna police information officer, said members of the Sta. Rosa police conducted a buy bust operation to arrest Anthony Evangelista at 4 a.m. in Barangay Sinalhan.

Evangelista, accompanied by another man, had sold police agents shabu worth P125,000.

When policemen tried to arrest the suspects, Orate said Evangelista drew his gun and fired, prompting the lawmen to return fire.

Evangelista died on the way to a hospital in Sta. Rosa while his companion escaped.

Last week, another illegal drug suspect, identified as Ewin Bato, died in a gunfight with policemen following a buy bust operation also in Sta. Rosa City.

No policeman was wounded in the Laguna encounters.

At least 29 men allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, had been killed in the provinces of Bohol, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Iloilo, and Metro Manila and Davao City within a month after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential elections.

Duterte had promised voters he would rid the streets of criminals, voicing out his disdain for illegal drugs and drug lords, and stop corruption and red tape in the government.

He also asked police to get those involved in illegal drugs dead or alive. Reports from Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon; Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon; and Almi Ilagan-Atienza, Inquirer Research