CABANATUAN CITY – Two alleged peddlers of illegal drugs were killed and four others were arrested in separate anti-drug operations in Nueva Ecija on Friday, July 3.
Self-employed Eduardo Doroteo, 50, died in an exchange of gunfire with a composite team from Gapan and San Jose City police stations in Barangay Sto. Cristo Sur, Gapan City, while Jessie Ordoña was killed in an encounter with elements of Lupao police station in Barangay Parista that municipality.
In both incidents, police said they were conducting buy–bust operation against the suspects when “the suspects suddenly drew” their firearms and shot at the operatives.
The lawmen had to fire back to defend themselves, resulting to the alleged pushers’ deaths.
Police said Doroteo, a resident of Barangay Rueda, Plaridel, Bulacan died on the spot. His companions, Ferdinand Doroteo, 37, Daisy San Diego, 36, Lino dela Cruz, 51, and Joel Sunga, 45, are now detained at the police custodial facility facing charges of selling and possessing illegal drugs.
An undercover policeman reportedly managed to buy one sachet of shabu from Doroteo before he went on shooting the operatives.
Investigators recovered from him the P1,000 marked money as four other sachets with estimated value of P68,000 were seized from the other suspects, said Cpl. Ace John Rayo in a report to the provincial headquarters here.
A .45 pistol and spent shells were also recovered from the place of encounter, police added.
In Lupao town, Ordoña, a resident of Barangay Mabini Extension here was killed in a buy–bust operation at about 11:20 a.m. in Barangay Parista.
He reportedly yielded one sachet of shabu, the P500 marked bill and a .38 revolver.
“The operatives were forced to fire back, fatally hitting the suspect,” the town police station reported.
