PNP: Spate of killings of pushers coincidental

ILOILO CITY—“Unintentional and only coincidental.”

This was how police authorities in Western Visayas described the spate of killings of suspected pushers in police operations in the region after they received a negative performance assessment by Philippine National Police chief, Director General Ronald Dela Rosa.

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday night last week, policemen shot dead five suspected pushers “because they fought back” in separate buy-bust operations.

“Our war against illegal drugs is very serious but our regional director (Chief Supt. Jose Gentiles) does not want this to be bloody,” said Supt. Gilbert Gorero, police regional spokesperson. He denied that the latest killings were sparked by Dela Rosa’s evaluation.

The slain suspects included retired SPO1 Wilson de Leon, who was killed in a buy-bust operation around 9:50 p.m. on Thursday at Jeffersonsville subdivision in Barangay Pali Benedicto in Mandurriao District in this city. Police alleged that De Leon fired at policemen who tried to arrest him after he sold five grams of “shabu” (methamphetamines) to one of them.

The other fatalities were Angelo Abebinir, who died about 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Bacjawan Sur in Concepcion town in Iloilo; Michael Huesca, 26, who was shot dead around 12:40 p.m. Thursday at Railway Street in Passi City; Paul Centino, 44, who was killed around 5:30 p.m. in Barangay Pili in Ajuy town on Thursday; and Reynante Tanaleon, who died in Barangay Agsanayan in Buenavista town in Guimaras province.

The killings happened a day after Dela Rosa announced that the police directors in the three regions could be relieved if their performance will not improve.

From July 1 to Aug. 11, police arrested 338 suspected drug pushers and killed three in Western Visayas.

Gorero said the police regional office lagged due to remaining suspected drug lords or “high-value targets” in the region, including Iloilo City-based businessman Melvin Odicta and Richard Prevendido.

Odicta, identified by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as head of one of two drug groups in the region, had earlier reported to the city police and pledged to help in the anti-illegal drugs campaign. There was no pending arrest warrant against him.

Prevendido allegedly heads the second group.