Drug suspects killed as police rejoin Philippine crackdown

Police Senior Superintendent Romeo M. Caramat Jr. says the suspects were killed or arrested in 19 raids in Bulacan province north of Manila, some of which turned violent when policemen were fired upon. (Photo: Pio Bulacan Ppo/ Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines –Philippine police have killed eight crime suspects in separate gunbattles and arrested 21 others in a northern province a day after the police force was allowed to rejoin the president’s deadly anti-drug crackdown while also launching a drive against illegal guns.

Police Senior Superintendent Romeo M. Caramat Jr. says the suspects were killed or arrested in 19 raids in Bulacan province north of Manila, some of which turned violent when policemen were fired upon. He says most of the slain suspects had links to illegal drugs.

President Rodrigo Duterte angrily banned the national police more than a month ago from enforcing his anti-drug crackdown, which has left thousands of suspects dead, after some antinarcotics officers were implicated in an extortion bid that left a South Korean dead.