Jail officer in Duterte narco list slain in sting

MANILA, Philippines — A personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology who was on President Duterte’s narco list was killed in an alleged shootout with police officers in Calamba City, Laguna on Thursday.

Jail Officer 3 Joseph Rey Villegas of the San Pablo City jail drew his gun when he sensed he had transacted with police officers who posed as buyers of shabu in Barangay Bunggo at around 10:10 a.m., Laguna police director Col. Serafino Petalio II said.

Villegas was brought to the Calamba Doctors Hospital,where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Fifty grams of shabu valued at P340,000, a .9mm pistol and a motorcycle were reportedly recovered from the fatality.

Petalio said the suspect was the leader of the Villegas drug ring operating in the second district of Laguna.

Villegas’ wife was arrested during a drug bust in June 2018 but was ordered released by a local court.