QCPD drug war death toll hits 300 under Digong

Four more drug suspects have been killed in separate shootouts with members of the Quezon City Police District, bringing to 300 the death toll from legitimate QCPD operations since July, based on the Inquirer’s monitoring.

Two of the fatalities were identified as Bernabe Sabangan, 24, and Arnold Vitales, 21, both jobless and residents of Tagumpay Village in Barangay Bagong Silangan.

The police said Sabangan and Vitales earlier surrendered to authorities under Oplan Tokhang. They were also on the watch list of the QCPD’s Batasan police station.

A report to Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD director, said the police had received a tip that Sabangan was still involved in illegal drugs despite his surrender.

This prompted Batasan policemen and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to set up an entrapment operation.
The transaction took place in Sabangan’s house at 11 p.m. on Monday with Vitales also present. The pair, however, allegedly traded shots with the police, resulting in their deaths.

Recovered from the two men were four sachets of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride), two .38-cal. revolvers and an improvised shotgun.

On Saturday, the QCPD’s drug enforcement unit and the PDEA conducted another entrapment operation, leaving two more two drug suspects dead following another alleged shootout, this time in Novaliches.

So far, only one of the fatalities has been identified by the police. The companion of Gary Sampaga, 32, has yet to be named.

A report to Eleazar said Sampaga and his cohort allegedly fired upon the lawmen who were chasing them on Selina Drive in Barangay Bagbag around 3:20 a.m.

The police said they recovered 24 sachets of suspected shabu, a shotgun and a .38-cal. revolver from the suspects.

Sampaga and his companion were allegedly listed under “Case Operation Plan Iceberg 01-17” which targets notorious drug dealers operating in the city.