By Erma Edera
One of the two Chinese nationals who were gunned down along Taft Avenue on Saturday was allegedly involved in the operation of a clandestine shabu laboratory in Manila in 2016.
A man was gunned down in front of Araullo High School along UN Avenue. One victim was rushed to Manila Medical Center. (Photo by Erma Edera / MANILA BULLETIN)
Yan Yi Shou alias Randy, 35, male, single and resident of Binondo, Manila, one of the fatality in the shooting, was an alleged cohort of intelligence officer Marine Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino in the P380 million drug case in 2016, police said.
Yan and Marcelino were arrested in January 21, 2016 during a buy-bust operation in Manila conducted by a composite team led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The accused later claimed that they were only doing a surveillance operation on a “possible abandoned shabu facility” at 15 Mahogany Street, Caeldon Residences, Felix Huertas St., Sta. Cruz, Manila.
A total of 77 kilos of suspected shabu were seized in that operation.
However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has withdrawn its P380-million drug case against them for “insufficiency of evidence” but the Philippine National Police and the PDEA filed an appeal, which was resolved in their favor by Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez and Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon last September 15.
As a result, a case for violation of Section 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165) was filed before the Manila court.
On May 2017, Manila court ordered the release from detention of Marcelino and Yan after they were cleared by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of involvement in illegal drugs.
In the resolution, the DOJ said Marcelino and Yan have sufficiently proven they were in the performance of lawful duty when they were seen by the PDEA and PNP, thus disputing the evidence "purportedly establishing that they are probably involved in the manufacture of illegal drugs, conspiracy in the manufacture thereof, or illegal possession of the same."
Meanwhile, on August 14, Yan and Wu Huai Hong, 30, male, single, staying in a hotel in Sta. Cruz, Manila were arrested after allegedly attacking two officers of the Manila Police District (MPD) in Sta. Cruz, Manila, MPD General Assignment and Investigation Section (GAIS) said.
According to the police, the Chinese were making a scene at T. Alonzo corner Ongpin Street. PO1 Eduardo Tila and PO1 Fernando Nakigo from the Meisic Police Station (PS-11) tried to pacify the suspects but instead were punched by the two.
Four days after the incident, the two were shot by unidentified men riding in-tandem on a motorcyle along Taft Avenue at the corner of United Nations Avenue in Manila in broad daylight, Saturday.
Wu died on the spot and was shot in the right side of his face, while Yan was rushed to the nearby Manila Medical Center, but was declared dead on-arrival with a gunshot wound in the head.