Two men nabbed in buy-bust op Two men were nabbed in a buy-bust in Caloocan City early Wednesday morning. Police identified the suspects as Garry Adao, 30, jobless, and resident of Lupa St, Barangay 32, Caloocan and Joel Santos, 42, jobless, and resident of Abad Santos Extension, Tondo, Manila. Initial investigation showed that joint operatives of the Caloocan City Police and the Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) conducted buy-bust operation along Talilong Street, Barangay 31 at around 3:45 a.m. This led to the arrest of the suspects after they allegedly sold suspected shabu to a poseur buyer. Seized from the suspects were a total of 10 plastic sachets containing suspected shabu and P500 that was used as buy-bust money. The seized items and the suspects were turned over to the police for proper disposition. Violation of RA 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the suspects. (Dylan Afuang) Former MILF member arrested in buy-bust op A drug suspect who claimed to be a former member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was nabbed after yielding more than P340,000 worth of illegal drugs during a buy-bust in Quezon City on Wednesday night. Police Lt. Col. Joel Villanueva, chief of Quezon City Police Station 6 (PS-6) identified the suspect as Anwar Macarimbang, 46, a resident of Paco, Manila. According to Villanueva, Macarimbang confessed that he used to be a member of the MILF but was not able to present any identification that will prove his claim. A police report showed that PS-6 personnel received a tip from an informant about the suspect's illegal drug activity. Upon confirming, operatives of PS-6 Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) conducted a drug sting against the suspect at IBP Road in Brgy. Batasan Hills. An undercover operative set a drug deal and bought shabu worth Php40,500.00 from the suspect which resulted in his arrest after he received the buy-bust money. An undercover cop transacted with Macarimbang and purchased P40,500 worth of shabu which resulted in his arrest. Confiscated from the suspect were 50 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P340,000 and the buy-bust money. Further investigation showed that Macarimbang was jailed sometime in 2002 also for the illegal drug trade. A follow-up investigation is ongoing to determine the source of Macarimbang. He is now under police custody and was charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (Alexandria San Juan) Call center employee nabbed for 76 counts of theft A call center representative, who is facing 76 counts of qualified theft, was arrested by operatives of Eastern Police District (EPD) in Meycuayan, Bulacan Wednesday night. EPD Special Operations Unit chief Major Darwin Guerrero identified the suspect as Reynalyn Costales, 32, of San Ildefonso, Bulacan Costales was nabbed by the virtue of an arrest warrant around 11 p.m. at a commercial center along Camalig Road in Meycauyan, Bulacan. Hon. Judge Rowena De Juan-Quinagoran of Regional Trial Court Branch 166 in Pasig City issued the warrant against Costales and another female suspect on May 2. Guerrero said Costales and the other suspect, who is still at large, were former administration staffs of Villa Sole Condominium Association in Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City. “Supposedly, the company found out that the suspects did not remit the company’s profits. In other words, they deposited it in their bank accounts,” said Police Staff Sergeant Romel Fajutan, case investigator. “The complainant, later on, discovered the irregularities when they had their annual audit,” Fajutan said, adding that the suspect kept their company’s profits little by little to avoid suspicion, he said. The association, represented by Mary Anne Landrito and Madelyn Montalban, filed the complaint against the suspect whose employment was immediately terminated after the discrepancy was discovered sometime in January this year. The complainant did not divulge how much money was taken, Fajutan added. Costales is now under the custody of Pasig City Police. (Jhon Aldrin Casinas) Suspect in the killing of female Grab driver arrested Cainta Police arrested the prime suspect in the killing of a female grab driver in Pasig City, Wednesday night. Paolo Largado is the suspect in the killing of Maria Cristina Palanca, the Grab driver who was found dead under a sink inside a condominium unit in Cainta, Rizal. Report reaching the Eastern Police District Command ( EPDC) showed that suspect Paolo Largado was arrested by authorities after they chased the latter from Lucena Quezon where he pawned the vehicle and when he proceeded to Pasig City to meet his girlfriend. He did not know that the authorities are already waiting for him at the meeting place. Police were able to determine the whereabouts of Largardo through the CCTV at the condo unit last Thursday where footage showed him leaving the place with the victim's vehicle. After Largado was arrested, he tried to escape and he even shaved his head. Police found a sachet suspected to contain shabu inside his wallet. Largado in an interview with a reporter said he knew the victim as he was once her passenger and that they were both involved in the illegal drug trade. He admitted to killing the victim. He added that he thought that Palanca was going to shoot him so he defended himself and accidentally killed her. Police said relatives of Palanca denied Largado's story. Last Wednesday, police recovered the vehicle driven by slain Grab driver, a black Toyota Avanza in Lucena, Quezon after it was pawned by suspect Paolo Largado to an acquaintance. It can be recalled that last Sunday, Palanca was found dead and in the state of decomposition under the sink of Largado's condominium unit in Barangay San Andres, Cainta. Investigation showed that after Palanca brought her passenger last May 23 from a mall in Mandaluyong City going to Pasig City. Palanca went to the condominium. Police said since May 23 when someone booked a Grab from Antipolo going to Mandaluyong City the victim has not returned home. (Madelynne Dominguez) P120,000 worth of marijuana seized from three suspects in buy-bust op More than P120,000 worth of marijuana from a 17-year-old male and his two other cohorts during a drug sting in Novaliches, Quezon City on Wednesday night. Police Lt. Col. Rossel Cejas, Quezon City Police Station 4 (PS-4) commander, said the suspects alias "Ago," 17, and his companions Mark Limo, 28, and Jayjay Legaspi, 19, all residents of Tondo, Manila were nabbed in a drug bust in front of a supermarket along Quirino Highway in Brgy. Sta. Monica. According to the police, they were informed about the drug peddling activity of Ago who was said to be a known seller of marijuana in his area. Operatives of PS-4 set a drug sting against Ago who was with Limo and Legaspi at around 6 p.m. Wednesday. A police poseur-buyer purchased at least P16,000 worth of marijuana from the group resulting in their arrest. Authorities confiscated from the suspects dried marijuana leaves wrapped in a transparent plastic weighing at least 1 kilogram with an estimated street value of P120,000. Arrested suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Meanwhile, the minor will be turned over to Quezon City Social Services and Development Department for proper intervention after inquest proceedings. (Alexandria San Juan) Cop who shot suspected killer to remain in his post The cop who shot the suspect tagged in the killing of an octogenarian couple in Novaliches, Quezon City during an alleged gun scuffle will not be relieved, the local police director said. Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director BGen. Joselito Esquivel Jr., said there are no sanctions awaiting Lt. Col. Rossel Cejas, chief of Novaliches Police Station (PS-4) who shot suspect Carl Joseph Bañanola as what he did was only a "performance of duty." In a report from the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, Cejas and three other personnel of PS-3 were inside a police mobile to escort Bañanola back to Camp Karingal after he underwent inquest proceedings at the QC Hall of Justice around 6 p.m. While traversing along Kalayaan Avenue, Bañanola reportedly requested to loosen his handcuff from behind which was obeyed by Staff Sgt. Alex Icban out of "human consideration." However, police said Bañanola tried to grab the service firearm of Icban resulting in a scuffle. This prompted Cejas, who was in the front passenger seat, to draw his gun and shoot the suspect who was rushed to East Avenue Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival due to multiple gunshot wounds on his chest. According to Esquivel, there's nothing wrong with what Cejas did as he only protected his men from danger. "Inagaw ang baril kaya napilitan. He sensed danger to the life of his men in a confined space," the QCPD chief explained adding that the incident is now being probed by the PNP. Esquivel also said that Bañanola's actions might be influenced by his illegal drug abuse as he yielded positive result in their drug test. In a police report, Bañanola was believed to be under the influence of illegal drugs when he was arrested in Caloocan City on Tuesday night. Bañanola admitted that he stabbed to death couple Nicolas Austria, 86, and Leonora Austria, 87, who were discovered by their daughter inside their house in a subdivision in Brgy. San Agustin, the afternoon of May 26. The couple's housemaid, Editha Fernandez, 63, was also found lying at the dirty kitchen with head fractures and bruises on her body. Authorities recovered in the crime scene a kitchen knife and a steel pipe with blood stains, while collected in the kitchen were a red sando and black shorts also with blood stains which led to the identification of Bañanola. The victim Fernandez, who is still at the hospital after surgery, also identified the suspect as the same man who hit her with a steel pipe thrice. Bañanola explained that the killing was unintentional as his main target is to steal money from the victims. Recovered from Bañanola was the stolen money amounting to P16,100 believed to be part of the P38,000 missing from the victim’s house. He was presented for inquest with cases of robbery with homicide and frustrated murder before the City Prosecutor’s Office. (Alexandria San Juan) Nabbed Suspect for the murder of a 16-year-old boy in Tondo a former drug surrenderee The suspect who was nabbed by police in the killing of a 16-year-old boy was a former drug surrenderee, Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Section chief Police Capt. Henry Navarro said. Navarro said the suspect, identified as Mark Joseph Vasquez, 22, jobless was arrested at around 2:45 a.m. on May 30 during a follow-operation along Pilapil Street, Tondo Manila. "The suspect was a former drug surrenderee in their barangay," Navarro said in an interview with the Manila Bulletin. Kevin Lois Monsod, a grade 8 student was shot by a suspect riding a motorcycle accompanied by three women at around 2:20 a.m. on May 28 at the corner of Quezon and Concha Streets in Tondo, Manila. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital, a police report showed. The altercation between the two groups started when one of Monsod’s companions called one of the women ugly. Closed-Circuit television footage showed that Monsod who were crossing the street kicked the motorcycle. They ran after the motorcycle, however, they were not able to reach it. Moments after, the same motorcycle returned and the driver ran after the boys then started shooting them. The three boys dispersed but one of them, Monsod, got hit. It was learned that the minors came from a drinking session and were on their way home. One of Monsod's group knew one of the passengers and greeted her “pangit” (ugly), which irked the motorcycle driver. The other friend of the victim said, "Yung mismong rider po na lalaki kung anu-ano na pong sinabi sa amin na hindi maganda. Kaya po 'yung isa po naming kaibigan (Monsod) biglang nag-amok kasi dala na po ng kalasingan ganung po. Nagalit po." The companions of the victim identified Vasquez as the gunman. Police Staff Sergeant Lester Marlon San Pedro of the MPD-Homicide Section said they were not able to recover the gun and motorcycle from Vasquez when he was arrested. In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Raquel Monsog, 43, victim's mother said that they only learned the shooting incident around noontime on Tuesday. "Mas nauna pa namin nakita sa social media na patay na yung anak ko at mga lapit bahay namin. Hindi siya nagpaalam na aalis siya pero sinundo siya ng kaibigan niya sa amin," Raquel said. "Pangatlo siya sa limang magkakapatid. Kakaenroll pa lang niya. Gusto niya pa naman maging pulis," she said in tears. "Sana aaminin niya na (Vasquez) at ano yung dahilan kung bakit niya ginawa yun," Raquel said. Vasquez is temporarily detained at MPD headquarters and will be facing charges of murder. (Erma Edera) PDEA confirms fake PDEA agents shot a businessman dead in Tondo The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that fake PDEA agents shot a businessman dead in a shooting incident in Tondo, Manila on May 24, 2019. The clarification was asserted after te result of the initial investigation was released. To recall, four men wearing fake PDEA uniforms killed Melchor Almazan, who is a businessman from Caloocan City. A video of the incident circulating on social media showed four male motorcycle-riding men clad in supposed PDEA attire of green polo shirts shooting the victim. The probe noted the fake uniform has similarity to the old PDEA tactical uniform. PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino revealed that real PDEA agents now sport a new set of tactical uniform entirely different from those worn by perpetrators in the said video. “This modus is clearly an attempt by rogue individuals to taint the image of PDEA and put our agents in a bad light,” Aquino said. He also noted that other previous incidents where lawless groups wore clothes resembling tactical uniforms worn by PDEA agents during legitimate anti-drug operations were recorded. “They are fake PDEA agents,” he insisted. In 2018, two similar incidents involving “fake” PDEA agents were reported. On February 4, 2018, a CCTV camera caught several persons wearing PDEA green shirts forcibly taking alleged drug suspects in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City. Several weeks later on February 24, an individual posing as PDEA agent and his companion were arrested after a shootout in Parañaque City. “Under my watch, I will not tolerate any PDEA agent who shall take advantage of their badge and drag the name of the agency in unscrupulous activities. They do not have any excuse to get involved in any illegal activity,” the PDEA chief concluded. (Chito A. Chavez) 30 grams of shabu and various drug paraphernalia seized in Paco, Manila Joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Manila police force Wednesday seized 30 grams of shabu and various drug paraphernalia and arrested three suspected drug dealers including a female suspect in Paco, Manila. In a report, PDEA Special Enforcement Service (SES) Director Levi Ortiz identified the suspects as Michelle Medrano, Alfredo Anyag and Ariel Munoy. The operation was carried out by the PDEA and the MPD station 5 at 1696 Linao St. in Paco by virtue of a search warrant. PDEA agent Mark Standly Detera the suspects tried to evade apprehension by hurling the illegal drugs and paraphernalia into a nearby estero (pond). PDEA agents had to practically wade through the murky water to recover the contraband. It was reported by the agency that Medrano has just been released from prison in January 2019 also due to illegal drug cases. However, Medrano continued with her illegal drug transaction ways expanding her operation from Quezon City to her current residence in Union Estero De Paco where she as arrested. Cases for violation of sections 5,11,12 and 7, Article II of RA 9165 are now being readied against the suspects. (Chito A. Chavez)