3 men, 2 teens yield alleged shabu, firearm with ammo, hand grenade  

Sachets of suspected shabu, a firearm with ammunition and a hand grenade were seized from five men, including two minors, in Navotas City last night.

Authorities from the Navotas City police said the five men yielded 12 sachets of alleged shabu worth around P18,000, drug paraphernalia, caliber .38 pistol with live ammunition, and a hand grenade. The operation was part of the Oplan Galugad inside an alleged den in Market 3 Barangay NBBN around 9 p.m., police said.

Arrested drug suspects were identified as Armil Villanueva, 22; Jessie Catubig, 31; Rosendo Estacio, 38; and two boys aged 17 and 15. All are residents of Navotas City.

Senior Supt. Brent Madjaco, city police's chief, said Villanueva was included in the drug watchlist under the pusher category. He was also known for being notorious in his gun-for-hire activities.

"He had previous murder cases. He was one of the suspects in three shooting incidents in December 2017 and January this year," Madjaco added.

Meanwhile, other arrested suspects were all drug users and newly identified drug personalities in the area, according to the city police chief.

"The minors were being used as drug runners," Madjaco said.

Appropriate charges will be filed against Villanueva, Catubig and Estacio while the two minors were turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development. (Kate Louise Javier)

Pasig City cell detainee pronounced DOA when rushed to hospital

A detainee was pronounced dead on arrival when rushed to the hospital, after one day of being held in a detention cell in Pasig City last night.

Antonio Coronel, 59, was declared dead on arrival when he was rushed to the Rizal Medical Center.

The other detainees of Cell No. 2 noticed him breathing heavily and his face getting pale.

The detainees told the jailer PO1 Lester Galong about the condition of Coronel. Galong immediately informed the Station Tactical Operation Center and requested for an ambulance.

Coronel was rushed to Rizal Medical Center, but at about 8:30 p.m., Coronel was declared dead on arrival, police said.

Coronel was a drug surrenderer in 2016. But he was arrested on Wednesday after the police have seized 69 plastic sachets containing suspected shabu inside his house.

"Drug surrenderer siya, pero hindi pa rin pala talaga tumigil (He was a drug surrenderer, but he did not actually quit selling drugs),” said Senior Police Insp. Alvin Perlas, chief of Station Drug Enforcement Unit, A search warrant was issued by the Pasig RTC Branch 152 against Coronel on Monday.

The police served the search warrant to Coronel at 97 Dodge City Street, Barangay Sagad, Pasig City at about 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, that eventually lead to his arrest.

Aside from the almost 70,000 worth of alleged shabu, the police also recovered several drug paraphernalia in his house.

 Coronel's cadaver will undergo autopsy to determine the cause of his death, police said. (Joviland Rita)

Supposed buy-bust ops led to arrest of 3 persons having pot session inside alleged drug den

A supposed buy-bust operation led to the arrest of three persons allegedly having pot session inside an alleged drug den in Caloocan City Thursday night.

Anti-narcotics operatives led by Senior Insp. Allan Hernandez conducted a buy-bust operation against former Barangay 182 watchman Peter John Garcia along Acacia Street around 7:30 p.m.

However, Garcia sensed that he was transacting with a cop, said case investigator PO1 Juan Miguel Madlangbayan.

Garcia ran away toward the alleged drug den where three people were caught allegedly having pot session. Garcia, meanwhile, made good of his escape.

Arrested drug suspects were identified as Richard Cunanan, 30, fruit vendor; Bernard Caballero, 29, driver; and Evelyn Canlas, 44, helper. All are residents of Caloocan City and were not included in the drug watchlist.

In an interview, Cunanan and Caballero admitted using illegal drugs while Canlas denied the allegations.

Charges will be filed against the three suspects while manhunt operations against Garcia are now underway. (Kate Louise Javier)

Neighbor saves 5-year-old girl from attempted abduction

A 5-year old girl was about to be abducted allegedly by a 49-year-old man while walking out of the house Thursday morning in Pasig City, until a neighbor saved her from the alleged crime.

Rose Marie Vecino, 29, noticed Romualdo Abalajon Jr., 49, roaming around their street while she was standing outside their house at No. 17 Villa Tupaz, San Joaquin in Pasig City.

Minutes later, she saw the 5-year-old girl walking out of her house at No. 194 when suddenly Abalajon held her in the arm and tried to take her away, police said.

Vecino, who witnessed the alleged abduction, hurried and took away the girl from Abalajon.

“Tapos sabi ko doon sa bata: Pumasok ka na sa inyo. Umuwi ka na!” Vecino said in a television interview.

 She immediately called for the police to seize Abalajon. PO1 Tuquero of PCP 2 together with members of barangay security force responded and arrested Abalajon.

Abalajon, a resident of Makati City, posed as a person asking for alms around Village Tupaz, handing an envelope to people with a message written on it: “Tulong lang po,” said the Pasig City PCP 2 commander SPO4 Rodin Salvador Miguel.

The police recovered a plastic sachet containing suspected shabu from Abalajon during inspection.

Prior to this, Abalajon was seen aboard a green van with plate number XMM 507 which was allegedly used in abducting minors, police said.

The story of a green van that is being used in abducting minors went viral on Facebook in the previous years.

But when the responding officers arrived at the village, the green van was not there.

The Eastern Police District directs other police districts  for the arrest of driver/occupants of the green van.

The police are now checking if there was a CCTV installed in nearby areas to locate the green van.

Cases of violation of Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and Section 11 of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being readied against Abalajon before the Pasig City Prosecutors Office, police said. (Joviland Rita)