4 drug suspects dead in Quezon, Camarines Norte

SHOOTOUT (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ ARNOLD ALMACEN)

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — Four suspected drug pushers were killed on separate instances in the provinces of Quezon and Camarines Norte on Saturday and Tuesday, police reports said on Wednesday.

In Quezon, police said Gerry Salintes died in a shootout with policemen in a drug bust in Barangay (village) Canda Ilaya in Lopez town at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday.

In a report, Chief Insp. Romulo Albacea, Lopez police chief, said that during the buy-bust, Salintes, a resident of Calauag town, drew a .38-revolver and shot a policeman but missed. Other policemen involved in the operation retaliated, hitting Salintes.

The suspect died while being taken to the St. Jude General Hospital in Lopez.

In Camarines Norte, Chief Insp. Victor Abarca, public information officer of provincial police, said Nimfa Genova, 54, a resident of Paracale town, and Arly Cabarle, 32, of Daet town, were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen. A third suspect, Arthur Manlangit, 52, of Talisay town, was killed in a shootout with policemen during a drug bust.

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Abarca said Genova was on a motorcycle with her husband in Paracale when two men on another motorcycle shot her on Saturday.

Genova, a businesswoman, was fourth on the list of drug suspects in Paracale, police said.

Abarca said Cabarle had just attended a hearing for a drug-related case at the Regional Trial Court Branch 38 in Daet town when he was shot and killed by a lone gunman at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Cabarle, police said, was fifth on the drug watch list of the Daet police.

In Talisay town, Manlangit died after a shootout with policemen conducting a drug bust at 1:50 a.m. Tuesday.

Abarca said Manlangit sold P500 worth of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to a police agent.

Manlangit, when he sensed that he was dealing with lawmen, drew his gun but it misfired. Police shot him, killing him instantly.

Abarca said policemen recovered a .38- revolver and two plastic sachets of shabu from Manlangit.

In Tiaong town in Quezon, police arrested Wilfredo Villanueva Sr. and his son, Wilfredo Jr., in a drug bust on Wednesday.

Police seized a small quantity of shabu, worth P1,110, from the suspects.  SFM