Killings go on as Senate probes Digong drug war

FAMILY IN ANGUISH The loved ones of Paul Lester Lorenzo weep as they find him in a body bag in Pandacan, Manila. PHOTOS BY Raffy Lerma

Hours before the Senate launched an inquiry into the rash of killings attributed to President Duterte’s war on narcotics, seven more men tagged as drug suspects were killed  by either the police or unidentified gunmen across Metro Manila.

Four of the fatalities were gunned down by members of the Manila Police District (MPD). They included Rolando Bangayan, who died in a “shoot-out” with members of MPD’s Raxabago station shortly before midnight Wednesday.

The station commander, Supt. Redentor Ulsano, said Bangayan, who was on their list of wanted persons, yielded 11 sachets of “shabu” when caught in a buy-bust operation in Katuparan Village in Vitas, Tondo.

Also in Manila, a buy-bust in Pandacan ended in the death of Danny Laurente and Paul Lester Lorenzo, who allegedly fired at the police after a drug transaction.

A report by MPD Pandacan station chief, Supt. Emerey Abating, and PO3 Philip Delos Santos said it was Laurente who sensed the trap and warned Lorenzo: “Pulis ‘yan, pare (That’s a cop).”

The two men allegedly drew .38-caliber pistols and, after being killed, were found carrying 10 sachets of shabu, the report said.

THE BODIES of the slain Paul Lester Lorenzo and Danny Laurente, who were tagged as drug suspects by the Manila police, are brought to a funeral home using a railroad trolley.

An unidentified man, who police said also kept shabu in his pocket, was shot five times by PO1 Rod Moralidad in front of M. Hizon Elementary school on Jose Abad Santos Avenue around 1:20 a.m.

Moralidad was on a team led by Senior Insp. Edison Ouano from the MPD Moriones station. They were patrolling the area when they encountered the man, who was “seen and observed holding a gun.”

The man allegedly pulled a .45-caliber Colt pistol and fired at the officers when he saw them approaching. Moralidad retaliated and hit the man “in the forehead, chest, right arm, and two times in the left arm,” according to a report to the MPD homicide section.

In eastern Metro Manila, three more drug suspects were killed in a span of 30 minutes.

In San Juan City, the police said a lone gunman ambushed Dustin Romualdo Malig, of Barangay Maytunas, around 2 a.m. on V. Angeles Street in Kabayanan.

Senior Supt. Victor Arevalo, the city police chief, said Malig was included in their drug watch list and surrendered to the police last month under the “Oplan Tokhang” antidrug campaign.

In Pasig, 37-year-old Edwin Pinga was walking toward a bakery to buy bread when shot by two men who got off from a white van around 2:30 a.m. on Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue, Barangay Rosario.

Senior Supt. Orlando Yebra Jr., the city police chief, later described Pinga as a drug user and pusher included on the local watch list.

Around the same time in Marikina, Almar Tamiado allegedly shot it out with the police in a buy-bust operation on Singkamas Street, Tumana. Based on a report to Senior Supt. Lorenzo Holanday Jr., the city police chief, the 38-year-old suspect resisted arrest after being caught selling five sachets of shabu to an undercover agent.

Tamiado allegedly drew a .38-caliber pistol and was shot in the chest by the other responding officers. Seven more sachets of shabu were recovered from him.

The three fatalities on Tuesday raised to 42 the number of drug-related deaths since July in the Eastern Police District (EPD), which covers Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Marikina. Thirteen of the victims were found dumped on the streets, 14 were attacked in public view by unidentified assailants, while 15 died in police operations.

EPD director Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, who was promoted on Thursday from the rank of senior superintendent, said he had ordered an in-depth probe of all drug-related killings under his district.

Sapitula echoed statements earlier made by the Philippine National Police chief, Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, that those gunned down by motorcycle-riding hitmen were probably targeted by the drug syndicates where they got their supply of drugs.