Member of Alcala drug ring slain

LUCENA CITY, Quezon—A member of the Alcala drug group in Quezon province was found dead in Pagbilao town on Friday, police said Saturday.

Chief Insp. Rizaldy Merene, Pagbilao police chief, said the body of Harold Abutin, listed as a “high value target” on Quezon drug watch list, was found in Barangay (village) Bigo around 7:30 a.m. with multiple gunshot wounds on his head and back. Police said residents in the villagers heard rapid sounds of gunfire at about 2:45 a.m.

The recovered body was first listed at the police journal as an unidentified victim.

Merene said the body was claimed by a woman who introduced herself as the live-in partner of the victim whom she identified as Abutin on Friday evening.

Merene said Abutin was the first cousin of Sahjid Alcala, one of the leaders of the Alcala drug group. Sahjid and his younger brother, Cerolleriz, were arrested in a drug buy-bust in Sariaya town on Nov. 22 last year, more than two months after their mother, Maria Fe, and sister, Toni Ann, were arrested in a another drug buy-bust in Tayabas City.

READ: 2 nephews of Alcala, 4 others nabbed in Quezon drug bust

“Based on police intelligence information, Harold was also involved in the Alcala drug group,” Merene said in a phone interview. He did not specify the victim’s role in the drug syndicate.

Merene declined to categorize Harold as a victim of “salvage” or extrajudicial killing. “We’re still conducting our investigation,” he said.

The arrested Alcalas were all detained at Talipan district jail also in Pagbilao.

Sajhid and Cerolleriz, described by police as the “most influential drug personalities” in Quezon because of their political connection, were sons of Cerilo, younger brother of former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Quezon Rep. Vicente Alcala.