A policeman waiting for a ride home was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna Tuesday afternoon while in Teresa, Rizal an anti-narcotics cop was caught as he was allegedly about to distribute drugs.
In Sta. Cruz, Police Officer 3 Rustan Agustin had just come from a court hearing and was waiting for a ride in Barangay Pagsawitan when the killers drove up and shot him at close range. They also took his service pistol and a backpack containing personal belongings.
Agustin’s partner said the hearing was for administrative charges he had filed against a superior officer and two colleagues, which the accused also attended. The hearing ended around 4 p.m.
The victim was assigned to Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City and was undergoing schooling for his promotion.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Albert Ocon, Rizal police director, said Police Officer 1 Fernan Manimbo of the Teresa police drug enforcement team, was on their list of “high value” drug personalities.
The 33-year old Manimbo, who has been in the service for seven years, was caught in Carissa 1 Subdivision, Barangay Bagumbayan allegedly with more than 100 grams of crystal meth or shabu, worth some P200,000, that he was supposed to distribute.
Manimbo said he would answer the allegations in court.
Ocon said there were a number of other police officers among their “high value targets,” most of whom not only act as protectors of the drug trade but also maintain their own network of street pushers through whom they distribute “recycled” narcotics, or contraband seized during operations that is resold.