Cop hurt, 6 nabbed in Rizal buy-bust

SAN PEDRO CITY-A police officer was wounded in a shoot-out between law enforcers and suspected illegal drug pushers in Cainta town in Rizal province on Saturday.

Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, Calabarzon police chief, said the members of the Cainta Drug Enforcement Team conducted a buy-bust operation around 3:30 a.m. inside Green Woods Executive Village in Barangay (village) San Andres.

During the transaction, undercover Police Officer 3 Allan Sinampan signaled to his back-up team to enforce the arrest on the suspects, when an unidentified gunman on a motorcycle passed by them and opened fire.

Sinampan was hit in his leg, but the police were not able to shoot back because there were civilians living nearby, Eleazar said.

He said the gunman was able to escape but the police arrested suspects Joenard Borja, John Carlos Vertudez, Oscar Litab, Mark Renniel, Fabby Lora, and Gemma Oliva.

The police also recovered 26 sachets of suspected “shabu” or crystal methe and other drug paraphernalia.