4 added to drug war toll in 3 Metro cities

FOUR men branded as drug suspects were shot dead either in police operations or vigilante-style attacks in three cities on Friday.

In Caloocan, 54-year-old William Sia was killed by unidentified gunmen at his home on C-5 Road, Barangay 49, on Friday morning.

Based on a statement taken from the victim’s son Richard, the police said that before the killing, six men approached the younger Sia as he stood outside their house around 10:45 a.m.

The men, who were wearing masks and helmets, ordered Richard to leave. The son ran off toward Baltazar Street—and then found his 54-year-old father in a pool of blood when he came back.

The police report on the incident said two plastic sachets apparently containing “shabu” were found on William Sia’s body. Six bullet casings were also recovered at the scene.

About four hours later, a police buy-bust operation against Bagong Barrio, Caloocan, resident Albert Beltran ended with him being shot inside the room he was renting on C. Katarungan Street, Barangay 150.

P03 Rommel Bautista, the case investigator, said a team composed of P03 Cesar Tolentino, P01 Yeng Tolentino and P01 Rodolf Ramos from Police Community Precinct 1 retaliated after the 38-year-old Beltran “fired first” with a .38-caliber pistol.

The slain Beltran was found keeping four plastic sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia, he said.

According to Bautista, Beltran was on the local watch list of drug suspects. His residence had been repeatedly visited by officers implementing the Oplan Tokhang campaign but he would always go into hiding, he said.

He said a security camera in the barangay earlier caught Beltran selling drugs.

In Manila, 25-year-old Alvin Abuis was shot dead after he allegedly shot it out with a policemen who were alerted to a “pot” session inside a house on Valderama Street, Binondo, around 6:15 p.m. Abuis allegedly wielded a .22-caliber revolver.

In Malabon, motorcycle-riding assailants ambushed Reynaldo Reyes Jr., 35, on M. Sioson Street, Barangay Dampalit, around 10 p.m.

Quoting residents, P02 Benjamin Sy of the city police said Reyes was on the barangay watch list and that he had earlier surrendered to the police under Oplan Tokhang./rga