FOUR suspected drug pushers were killed and a couple were arrested in four separate incidents in Bulacan and Pampanga hours after the relaunch of the PNP’s war on illegal drugs just over a month after President Rodrigo Duterte stopped it due to widespread corruption.
The four were killed in four areas in Malolos City by operatives from the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and after Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa announced the resumption of “Double Barrel Alpha Reloaded, which he said would be less bloody.
Chief Supt Aaron Aquino identified the slain suspects as Elmer Pagsanjan alias Whitey, 41, a tricycle driver and a resident of San Juan village in Malolos City, and Francis Bondoc alias Pantot of Caingin village, Malolos City.
The two other casualties were Norlito Sena of Panataan village and a certain Erol, a tricycle driver, also a resident of Malolos City.
The arrested couple were Renato Reforma alias Natoy and his Wife Lourdes alias Nene.
Confiscated from the couple were six transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu and marked money.
Investigation showed that the suspects Pagsanjan and Bondoc on board a tricycle were to meet a poseur along the Santo Cristo Diversion Road on Tuesday night for a drug deal.
However, during the transaction, the two suspects sensed that the buyer was a police officer and that allegedly prompted them to fire their guns, sparking a shootout.
Malolo Police Chief Heryl Bruno said Erol was killed in front of the Robinsons Mall along MacArthur Highway around 1:40 a.m.