Two women nabbed in drug buy-bust ops Two women were nabbed by police for illegal possession of drugs during a buy-bust operation conducted in Sampaloc, Manila on Tuesday. The police identified the suspects as Maria Flor Cuba. 30 years old, a resident of Malomot, Bacoor City, and Georgina, 47, of Sampaloc, Manila. Anti-narcotics operatives of Sampaloc Police Station conducted an anti-illegal drugs operation along Algeciras Street near corner Paltoc Street, Barangay 422, Zone 43, Sampaloc, Manila which resulted in the arrest of the suspects on December 18 at around 12:30 p.m. Police seized from the suspects two sachets of suspected shabu, which were forwarded to Manila Police District (MPD) Crime Laboratory for examination as evidence. The suspects are currently detained at Sampaloc Police Station and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (Erma Edera) Young female nabbed in Parañaque drug bust Joint anti-drug operatives arrested a lone female drug personality in a buy-bust operation yielding P450,000 worth of shabu in Parañaque City Tuesday night. Police identified the suspect as Jasmine Utto, 20, a resident of Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Brgy. San Dionisio in Parañaque. Two other alleged cohorts of the suspect managed to flee. Investigation showed that the operation was conducted at around 9:30 p.m. in a Christian-Muslim area in Brgy. San Dionisio, Parañaque City. Joint operatives from the Parañaque City Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) launched the operation against a certain Nasser Gandawali who managed to escape. An undercover police operative was able to purchase P1,000 worth of shabu from Utto which led to her arrest. Gandawali left the scene with three heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu with an estimated street value of P450, 000. Police also recovered one caliber .9mm Parabellum Pistol, one magazine with three pieces of live ammunition. The pieces of evidence will be submitted to Southern Police District-Crime Laboratory Office for laboratory examination and proper disposition. Utto will be facing various drug-related charges before the Parañaque City Prosecutor's Office. (Dhel Nazario) Cab driver gunned down by two unknown men A taxi driver was gunned down by two unidentified men after he allegedly gave an angry stare at the suspects along P. Ocampo Street corner Perlita San Andres Bukid, Manila on Wednesday early morning. The police identified the victim as Juanchito Flores, 45 of Barangay Tambobong Bocaue, Bulacan.  He was rushed to Ospital ng Maynila but was declared dead on arrival. According to witnesses Milca Cruz, 36, single, of Marikina City and Ceejay Dalusong, 28, single, resident of Pandi, Bulacan, prior to the incident, they attended a Christmas party when they decided to hail a taxi cab in Makati City. After few minutes, they boarded a taxi driven by the victim and proceeded to Taft, Manila. While they were traversing along Pablo Ocampo Street near corner Zobel Roxas Street Sta. Ana, Manila near the traffic light, two suspects onboard a motorcycle tapped the side window of the taxi which resulted to a heated argument on December 19 at about 12:50 a.m. Then, the suspects overtake and stopped their motorcycle in front of Flores’ taxi. The suspects challenged the victim to alight from his cab, however when the victim did not respond, the suspect fired three consecutive shots on the victim’s face. Cruz and Dalusong said that the suspects insisted that Flores stared at the suspects angrily. The gunman was described wearing white helmet, 5’6’’ in height, fair complexion, wearing black and red jacket and maong pants while the other suspect was onboard a motorcycle. After the incident, the suspects immediately fled to South Superhighway. Follow up investigation is now underway to apprehend the suspects. (Erma Edera) Two alleged gunrunnners, motorcycle thieves killed Two alleged gunrunners and motorcycle thieves were killed after a buy-bust turned into a shootout in Quezon City Wednesday past midnight. Investigators of the Quezon City Police District said one of the slain suspects was only identified as certain "Atan," while his companion was still unidentified, both wearing jackets and armed with a handgun. Police said that the two men were members of a gang in their area and were known illegal sellers of guns. Report showed that operatives of Quezon City Police Station 4 conducted a buy-bust against the suspects at SB Road in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches around 12:15 a.m. During the transaction, the suspects allegedly sensed that they were dealing with a police poseur-buyer prompting them to pulled out their handguns and shot at the responding officers. A brief gun battle ensued and hit the suspects that killed them on the spot. Recovered in the crime scene were two caliber .45 pistols, a caliber .38 Smith and Wesson revolver, a sachet of suspected shabu, and the stolen pink Yamaha Mio motorcycle. It appears that prior to the incident, the duo flagged down victim Joshua Capioso at Marcusin Street in Barangay Gulod Tuesday afternoon and forcibly took his motorbike. The victim, who also went to the crime scene, positively identified the suspects as those who stole his motorcycle. Further investigation is underway to shed light on the incident. (Alexandria San Juan) Newly-acquitted man shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen Six hours after cases against him were dismissed, a man was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen along Barangay 176, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City on Tuesday evening. Police identified the victim as Datukan Samad, alias Lastikman, jobless, resident of Pikit, North Cotabato. Senior Supt. Restituto Arcangel, chief of police of the Caloocan City police station, said Samad was acquitted of murder and kidnap-for-ransom cases on Tuesday afternoon. According to a report, Samad was fetched by his cousin from Camp Bagong Diwa at the Bicutan City Jail onboard a Honda Alpha motorcycle. Upon reaching the said area, their path was blocked by two unidentified men riding a motorcycle. They then shot the victim several times on different parts of his body, causing him to die on the spot. The assailants fled towards San Jose, Del Monte, Bulacan. Samad was reportedly going to stay the night at Caloocan before leaving for Mindanao the next day. Police Inspector Ronald Battala said investigators are still validating if the victim is the same man as a notorious gang leader who was previously arrested in 2012 and 2014. A certain Datukan Samad, alias Commander Lastikman, is an ethnic Maguindanaoan from Pikit, North Cotabato. He became one of Mindanao's most wanted fugitives and was known for drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Between 2012 and 2013 he escaped from a Maguindanaoan provincial jail and the Kidapawan city jail. He was recaptured in 2014 at Tacurong City. Police retrieved a deformed fired cartridge case of unknown caliber, a deformed fired bullet, and a fired cartridge case of unknown caliber from the crime scene. The victim's body was brought to Jara Funeral Homes for autopsy examination. Investigation is ongoing. (Minka Klaudia Tiangco) Sexagenarian dead on the spot after train hit A sexagenarian died when hit by a passing train while crossing along the railways in Paranaque City. Police identified the victim as Emiliana Duran, 65, of Barangay San Martin De Porres, Paranaque City. She suffered broken bones all over her body and died on the spot. Investigation showed that prior to the incident, the victim was crossing along that railway at about 6:20 a.m. along Barangay San Martin De Porres when hit by a passing train being driven by Lizardo Berina. The police said that record showed that the train came from Tutuban, Manila going southbound direction. Police also said the witnesses claimed that the victim was crossing along the railway and did not notice the arrival of the train. Witnesses also said that the body of the victim was also dragged a few meters away. The police who coordinated with the Philippine National Railway (PNR) for the arrest of Berina learned that the company has a policy that they could not arrest any of their drivers once an accident occurred in their railway claiming that they are on their right of way. However, the PNR agreed to give assistance to the family of the victim. (Jean Fernando)