Drug suspect who yielded under ‘Tokhang’ shot dead in San Juan

Drug suspect Marcelino Milvar who recently submitted himself for a drug rehabilitation program was shot dead in San Juan City on Sunday (Aug. 21, 2016) (Photo courtesy of Barangay West Crame Councilor Buboy Nonato)

Update

MANILA — A 53-year-old drug suspect who surrendered to the police early last week under the Oplan Tokhang program was shot dead by two unidentified men onboard a motorcycle at West Crame, San Juan City, on Sunday evening.

A report reaching Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, Eastern Police District director, stated that Marcelino Milvar, alias Maxe, (not Tomasito as earlier reported), a resident of Road 9, 1st West Crame, was standing along Talipapa Road when one of the gunmen who wore helmets and masks, alighted from the black motorcycle and shot him repeatedly in different parts of the body around 7:45 pm.

Milvar, police said, died on the spot.

He had two gunshot wounds in the head and two in the back.

A bystander was grazed by one of the six bullets fired by the gunmen.

A witness who asked not to be identified, said that shortly after the attack, they saw four masked men on two motorcycles holding orange bags fleeing from the crime scene.

The four masked men told witnesses to give way as they sped away on their motorcycles.

Barangay officials said there was no policeman in the area at that time, and a fireworks display was ongoing in line with the Nazarene procession when Milvar was killed. “It might have been planned,” they said.

According to West Crame Village councilor Buboy Nonato, Milvar and his wife Tess were on the police’s drug watch list.

Only Milvar, however, was forced to surrender after the fourth “knock” on his door by members of the Eastern Police District last Wednesday, Nonato said.

Tess, who was also a suspected pusher, reportedly left their home after her husband was killed.

There were reports of drug dens around the Philippine National Police Camp Crame.

“Matagal na po iyon. Pero meron pa rin po (Those have long been there.  They have stayed on),” a barangay officer who requested anonymity, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Since July, around 95 drug suspects in Barangay West Crame have surrendered to the police.

Oplan Tokhang is the PNP campaign wherein policemen go to the homes of known drug pushers and users in the community to persuade them to surrender and undergo drug rehabilitation.

An investigation is ongoing. SFM