Gunmen on motorbikes kill 7 drug suspects in 5 cities
Seven drug suspects died from Monday until early Tuesday in separate shooting incidents in Metro Manila, all of them at the hands of motorcycle riders.
Of the victims, three were residents of Las Piñas City who had surrendered to the police under Oplan Tokhang.
One of them, Honorato Ocampo, was killed in his house on Tramo Street in Barangay Daniel Fajardo at 4:22 p.m. Monday by two motorcycle riders.
The 54-year-old Ocampo was rushed to Las Piñas District Hospital but was declared on arrival.
Two hours later, a couple was gunned down by men on motorcycles in their eatery on Marcos Alvarez Avenue, Barangay Talon 5.
Nadja Dumanin, 39, and her live-in partner Vincent Manaluz were killed while an eatery worker, Ester Doctolero, 37, was wounded by a stray bullet.
The Las Piñas police said an initial investigation showed that all three fatalities were involved in the drug trade in their barangays although they had earlier surrendered to authorities.
In Parañaque City, a jeepney barker identified only as Victor was gunned down at the corner of M. Roxas Street and Quirino Avenue in Barangay Baclaran at 11:30 p.m. Monday.
Shot seven times
The 30-year-old victim, an alleged drug user, died on the spot after he was shot seven times by three men on a motorcycle.
A bystander, Jomel Ansano, was hit in the leg by a stray bullet. He was taken by barangay officials to Pasay City General Hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Motorcycle-riding gunmen were also tagged in the death of a barangay councilor allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade on Monday evening in Taguig City.
The Southern Police District identified the victim as Julius Cesar Buenaflor, 45, a barangay councilor and resident of Kalayaan Street, Barangay Ususan.
The police said that Buenaflor was seated on a bench with colleagues on Tomasa Avenue at 6:22 p.m. when he was shot in the abdomen.
He was rushed to Medical Center Taguig where he was declared dead at 7:46 p.m.
An investigation showed that Buenaflor was on the Taguig police’s drug watchlist.
In Quezon City, Rowell Cruz was playing poker at a wake on Malakas Street in Barangay Commonwealth when a man shot him several times at 1:20 a.m. Monday. The gunman also left a piece of paper near the victim’s body which alleged that he was a drug pusher.
A witness said that after the shooting, the gunmen were picked up by two other men on separate motorcycles. He rode with one of them and escaped.
Pasig targets
In Pasig City, a man and a woman believed to be drug pushers were shot. Jeffrey Cagurangan, 29, died on the spot while Geraldine Rafiz, 37, was reported to be in serious condition.
According to a report reaching Senior Supt. Orlando Yebra Jr., Pasig City police chief, Cagurangan was asleep in his house when unidentified men barged inside and shot him at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday. The victim lived under the Rosaria Bridge on Ortigas Avenue in Barangay Rosario.
Case investigator SPO1 Al Alvarez said a witness told the police at least eight men on four motorcycles went to the victim’s house. Two of them entered Cagurangan’s house.
Cagurangan was taken to Pasig City General Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival around 2:59 a.m. due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Yebra said Cagurangan, who sold scrap and old shoes, was on the watch list of Barangay Rosario as a drug user and runner.
At 9:20 p.m. Monday, Rafiz, was walking on Taniman Avenue when two men fired upon her. She managed to run away as the suspects fled on a motorcycle. She was brought to a hospital where her condition was listed as grave.
The police said Rafiz was on the drug watch list of Barangay Manggahan as a pusher and user. —WITH JHESSET O. ENANO, ERIKA SAULER AND JODEE A. AGONCILLO
