Caloocan woman’s slay tied to drug raid

MANILA, Philippines - The attack on a woman who was shot in front of her neighbors while buying a cigarette in Barangay 8, Caloocan City Tuesday night could have been triggered by a drug raid, a source said yesterday.

Edylene Santos, 22, reportedly bought a sachet of shabu from a known drug pusher in her neighborhood on Monday afternoon.

“A few minutes after she bought the stuff the Northern Police District raided the area. They are probably thinking that she was a police asset. It is impossible for residents of the area, not even the relative of her live-in partner, to not identify the gunman because a lot of people saw the incident,” the source said.

Chief Inspector Ilustre Mendoza, head of the Caloocan police investigation division, said no one is willing to say anything because they are afraid of being the next on the local drug lord’s hit list, but “we will not let the case go unsolved.”

He said each of Santos’ neighbors, including the owner of the store where she was shot, had a reason why they “failed” to see the assailant and the shooting.

Edu Maboto, the victim’s partner, said he cannot believe there were no witnesses who saw the attack.