Police kill 2 as QC buy-bust leads to car chase, ‘shootout’

TWO DRUG suspects met their end inside this car after they shot it out with undercover policemen on NIA Road in Quezon City just before Tuesday dawn. Found inside the vehicle were three kilos of “shabu” and firearms. Jodee A. Agoncillo

Two men believed to be drug dealers were killed in a “shootout” with policemen in Quezon City around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) agents had set up a meeting for a drug deal with Amintao Khalid Malaindig, 36, and Ala Asnawe Macaayong, 23, when the suspects apparently sensed that they were policemen.

“The suspects were aboard their Toyota Altis when they tried to escape [from] the policemen and fired several gunshots,” CIDG Metro Manila director Senior Supt. Ronald Lee said.

Policemen from other units chased the suspects until they were cornered near a gas station at the corner of Edsa and NIA Road in Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City. A shootout ensued, leaving Malaindig and Macaayong wounded.

They were brought to East Avenue Medical Center where they were declared dead on arrival.

Recovered from them were  three plastic bags containing three kilos of suspected “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride worth P3 million, three cell phones and two .45-cal.  pistols.

Investigators are coordinating with the Land Transportation Office to verify the owner of the suspects’ car with conduction number YM 4318. Initial reports showed that it was allegedly registered to Tes Philsoto Moninah.

Navotas drug arrests

Meanwhile, in Navotas City, an informant’s text message to Mayor John Reynald Tiangco led to the arrest of 11 alleged drug dealers and users in a police operation conducted in a public cemetery on Monday night.

Senior Supt. Dante Novicio, the city police chief, identified the alleged drug dealers as Melissa Delfin, 41; Mary Grace Lipasana, 29, and Jocelyn Gonzales, who were all caught at Navotas City Public Cemetery.

The suspects were caught selling two plastic sachets believed to contain shabu to an undercover agent. They yielded four more sachets when frisked.

Eight more people were arrested that same night for having a shabu session at the cemetery. Three plastic sachets of shabu were seized from this second set of suspects.

PO3 Ramir Macapagal, a member of a special antidrug task group, said a concerned citizen alerted the office of the mayor about the drug activities in the cemetery.  Julie M. Aurelio, Jodee A. Agoncillo and John Christian Alvariño