Slain top drug suspect tagged in ambush

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – The third most wanted drug personality in Cagayan, who was killed in an ambush on Monday, was a suspect in the ambush of four supporters of congressman-elect Ramon Nolasco in April.  ?

Probers are looking into politics aside from illegal drugs as the motive for the killing of Rodelyn Umoquit, Chief Inspector Christopher Danao, Buguey police chief, told The STAR.

Umoquit was driving his vehicle on his way home when he was waylaid.

Danao said Erwin Salvacion, Rocky Rapal, Rodrigo Battad and Joel Concordia, who survived the ambush, identified Umoquit as among those who opened fire at their vehicle after a campaign sortie.

Another drug suspect was killed in an alleged shootout with police officers during a sting in Cauayan City, Isabela on Monday.

Arvin Tamayao engaged police officers in a gunfight during a raid on a subdivision in Barangay Sillawit, said Superintendent Engelbert Soriano, Cauayan police chief.

Soriano said five sachets of suspected shabu and a .22-caliber revolver were recovered from the suspect.

P10-M shabu seized

Meanwhile, police recovered four kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P10 million in separate operations in Cavite and Parañaque on Monday.

Chief Superintendent Val-frie Tabian, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) director, said three kilos of shabu were seized during a sting in Parañaque.

Mustapha Madayao, tagged as the leader of the so-called Manila-South gang, and his cohorts Binnor Macabato and Noroden Amatonding were arrested.

Tabian said two weighing scales and a logbook containing the names of drug suspects were recovered in a safehouse in San Pablo City in Laguna. He said an investigation of the personalities on the list, which reportedly include several police officers, is underway.

Chief Inspector Jay Icawat, field officer of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Cavite, said a kilo of shabu, chemicals used to manufacture shabu and drug paraphernalia were confiscated during a raid in Bacoor City.