Drug war: Teen slain, 3 nabbed in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — A teenager was killed in an alleged shootout and three other persons were arrested in connection with the government’s war against illegal drugs since Thursday.

Bryan Montawan, 18, was shot dead in an alleged car chase with police along Congressional Avenue in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City at past midnight yesterday.

Police claimed they set up a transaction with Montawan after he was tagged as a supplier of drugs by some suspects arrested earlier.

However, before the transaction could start, Montawan and his three cohorts allegedly shot at undercover operatives while inside their car.

Montawan fled in a Toyota Vios but they were chased down by police while having a shootout.

Probers said Montawan was left behind in the car along Visayas Avenue while three of his cohorts fled. One was identified as Joel de Leon, 25, through his driver’s license.

The teenager was rushed to the Quezon City General Hospital but declared dead on arrival from multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

Allegedly recovered from Montawan was a .38 caliber revolver and four sachets of suspected shabu.

P.4-M marijuana seized

Authorities seized from a 25-year-old man over six kilos of marijuana with a street value of P450,000 during a sting in Parañaque City at past midnight yesterday.

Members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) drug enforcement unit (DEU) arrested Michael Reyes Nordan, a resident of Sitio Bagong Pag-asa in Barangay Sun Valley.

A policeman who posed as a buyer said he bought P1,000 worth of marijuana from Nordan.

Police officers reportedly found packs of dried marijuana leaves totalling 6.5 kilos in Nordan’s house.

They monitored Nordan for three days before conducting the sting, according to NCRPO-DEU head Chief Inspector Joey Aranja.

Nordan admitted that he had been selling dried marijuana, which he bought from Kalinga-Apayao area for P6,000 per kilo, to his clients within the city.

He said he has been selling drugs for only three months.

In Pasig City, Jose Angelo Gabay was arrested in a sting along Kagitingan street in Barangay Caniogan at around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

He was apprehended after allegedly handing over P200 worth of shabu to an undercover police officer.

When frisked, Gabay allegedly yielded another 13 sachet of shabu and the marked money.

Around nine hours later, Ronan Castillo was arrested while creating trouble along E. Santos street in Barangay Palatiw.

A sachet of shabu was reportedly found on his person. – Romina Cabrera, Ghio Ong, Non Alquitran