3 slain in police operations in Nueva Ecija

CABANATUAN CITY — Three people, including two suspected drug pushers, were killed, while a policeman was wounded in separate anti-criminality operations in Nueva Ecija on Monday.

Police Col. Leon Victor Rosete, director of the Nueva Ecija office, identified the slain drug suspects as Mario Legaspi, 49, of Barangay Pamaldan, Cabanatuan City and Edwin Pestaño, 42, of Dulong Bayan, Quezon town.

Rosete said Legaspi and Pestaño resisted arrest during separate buy-bust operations in the province.

Police recovered “shabu” (crystal meth) and guns from the two drug suspects.

Senior Master Sgt. Redentor Rios, who was detailed at Peñaranda police station, was injured after a construction worker identified as Larry Reyes, 39, shot him at his left abdomen.

Rios belonged to a team that responded to a call about Reyes’ supposed indiscriminate firing in Peñaranda town about 9 a.m.

Reyes died instantly when policemen shot him, while Rios was taken to a hospital for treatment. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)