2 drug suspects involved in Malate shootout hunted

Two drug pushers who engaged Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents in a shootout during a botched drug deal in Malate, Manila is now being hunted by the police.

Director Reynaldo Jaylo, head of PDEA’s Task Force Hunter, said the suspects abandoned their white Mitsubishi Pajero in Mandaluyong City after discarding almost one kilo of shabu in Sta. Ana, minutes after the brief running gunbattle.

Jaylo said they are now coordinating with the police and other government agencies to identify the two suspects. "My men can identify them when they see them again so we are coordinating with law enforcement agencies who have records of their previous arrests," he said.

Jaylo disclosed that Deputy Chief Inspector Hernando Tiongson arranged the purchase of a kilo of shabu from a female member of a Pasay City-based drug syndicate early this month. Both parties agreed to met in Malate last Jan. 8.

At about 7 p.m., the Pajero was monitored slowly approaching the designated meeting place with two men on board.

A poseur-buyer from the PDEA carrying P2 million for the bus-bust deal walked towards the vehicle but was fired upon by the suspects.

The anti-drug agents gave chase on board a car and a motorcycle and traded shots with the suspects, whom they lost along Vito Cruz Street.

An hour later in Sta. Ana, a clutch bag, which was found to contain shabu, was thrown out by a speeding vehicle at the house of Dennis Dimaculangan and Jocelyn del Rosario. They turned over the clutch bag to the police. The crime laboratory claimed that 673 grams of shabu was recovered.

Velasquez said the 2002 model Pajero, with license plates XDR 948, was found abandoned in Barangay Daang Bakal along Shaw Blvd. at 7:30 a.m. the following day.

Police traced the owner of the Pajero as the scion of a prominent family in Pasay City. Velasquez said they are investigating whether he was involved in drug dealing.

But the Pajero owner’s lawyer claimed that armed men grabbed the vehicle from its driver a few hours after it was involved in an encounter with the police. But hefailed to show documents to support his claim, Velasquez said. — Non Alquitran