A suspected drug pusher died when the grenade in his hand exploded before he could hurl it at the police who had him cornered in his Caloocan City residence on Thursday night, officials said.
Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna, the city police chief, identified the fatality only by his alias, “Daddy Pido.” The man started renting space at Phase 8-B, Package 13 in Barangay Bagong Silang in March this year, he said.
Ten members of Police Community Precinct 3’s drug enforcement unit led by Chief Insp. Ronald Cayago went to the area around 10 p.m. to verify a tip that drugs were being sold there.
Upon arrival at the suspect’s place, one of the policemen saw him holding a grenade and removing the safety pin, according to Chief Insp. Moner Orang, head of the Caloocan City Police-North Extension office.
One of the officers fired at the suspect as the team pulled back. The grenade then exploded, killing the suspect and causing damage inside the concrete house.
Three sachets of “shabu” with a street value of P50,000 and two spent shells from a 12-gauge shotgun were recovered from the house, Bersaluna said.
The suspect’s body remained unclaimed at a funeral home in Caloocan as of Friday afternoon.—JODEE A. AGONCILLO AND HANNAH PEREZ