AGOO, La Union – Two illegal drug surrenderers were gunned down in separate incidents in different towns of the province last Monday.
Killed on the spot by an unknown assailant in the wee hours in Barangay San Nicolas East here was Noel Laroza, a tricycle driver and resident of this town, according the Chief Inspector Elpidio Cruz, Agoo Police Station Chief.
Cruz said that based on the investigation, the victim was about to pick-up vegetable goods for delivery to the market in the poblacion when the killer, presumed to be a vigilante, approached him and shot him several times.
The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds all over his body and was found sprawled on his tricycle. The suspect used a cal. 45 pistol in the attack as shown by empty ammo shells recovered at the crime scene.
Laroza was one of the 1,040 illegal drug surrenderers during the implementation of of the “Oplan Tokhang” in Agoo.
Meanwhile in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bato in Naguillian town, police gunned down a certain Alfredo Laigo Fontanilla, a resident of Barangay Cabaritan Sur, who was selling the banned methampethamine hydrochloride to a police officer who posed as buyer.
“Upon sensing that he was transacting business with a poseur-buyer, he tried to draw his gun tucked in his waist, but the cops beat him to the draw,” Chief Inspector Silverio Ordinado, Jr., La Union Provincial Police Information said.
It was not known how many cops participated in the killing of Fontanilla who, like Laroza, was one of the surrenderers in the “Oplan Tokhang” operation in the province.
Recovered from Fontanilla was a 38. cal. pistol and several sachets of the banned methampethamine hydrochloride or shabu. Jun Elias and Erwin Beleo – northboundasia.com