Man linked to 2016 concert deaths slain

MANILA, Philippines — A man accused of selling illegal drugs during a concert in Pasay City in 2016, during which five people died, was shot dead in Pasig City on Thursday night.

Joshua Habalo, 26, was riding his motorcycle along Octagon street in Barangay Dela Paz when two men on another motorcycle shot him at around 9:30 p.m., said Brig. Gen. Christopher Tambungan, Eastern Police District (EPD) director.

Habalo died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

Tambungan ordered a manhunt for Habalo’s killers.

Col. Rizalito Gapas, city police chief, said Habalo was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents in 2016 after he was suspected of selling illegal drugs during the CloseUp Forever Summer open-air concert where five people died, reportedly of a drug overdose.

Habalo was reportedly caught selling illegal designer drugs when he was arrested at the House of Manila Club in the Remington Hotel.

He was later released after it was found that the pills and tablets contained MDMA-methylene homolog and synthetic cathinone, which are not listed as illegal substances under Republic Act 9165, the comprehensive anti-illegal drug law, authorities said.

Five persons were convicted in 2018 in connection with the concertgoers’ deaths.

First accomplishment

Also in Pasig, the EPD’s newly formed District Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) reported the arrest of the city police’s No. 2 high-value target as its first accomplishment.

Perlita Arias, 42, was caught in a drug sting along C. Raymundo Avenue in Barangay Caniogan at around 7 p.m. Thursday.

Fifteen sachets of shabu, P300 marked money, two cell phones, a pouch, a shoulder bag, two wallets and P3,000 believed to be proceeds from drug deals were conficated from Arias.

Tambungan said he formed the unit last Monday and all its members underwent strict scrutiny by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) intelligence division and the Directorate for Intelligence of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

He tapped Lt. Col. Hendrix Mangaldan, the EPD’s intelligence chief, to temporarily lead the DDEU while they are searching for the “best and brightest” to head the unit.

Tambungan said he wants the DDEU head to be “strict, has a good moral standard and a background in human rights schooling so he won’t go overboard while… going after drug syndicates operating here.”

The entire 15-man DDEU was relieved by NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar after one of its members, Cpl. Mario Quibete, was caught on March 5 extorting money from a woman whose relative was arrested in an anti-drug operation.

PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde also relieved EPD director Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba for command responsibility.

Twelve other persons were also arrested for drugs in eastern Metro Manila and three more were apprehended in Pasay and Parañaque. – With Ghio Ong