Suspected drug pusher killed in shootout with cops in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY – A suspected drug pusher was killed Saturday afternoon in a shootout with police who were serving warrants in Ligao City, police said Sunday.

Marcelino Viterbo, aka “Lino,” was slain after he engaged policemen in a firefight in Barangay Tinago, Ligao City, at about 5:20 p.m., Chief Insp. Arthur Gomez, Albay police spokesperson, said.

Gomez said Viterbo ran to his house, took a .38-caliber handgun and opened fired at policemen serving an arrest warrant against him, prompting the lawmen to retaliate.

The suspect was hit and was declared dead on arrival at the Josefa Belmonte District Hospital, Gomez added.

The police arrested Viterbo’s sister Emma, 40, who was also the subject of a warrant.

Seized from Viterbo’s house was a .38-caliber revolver, 11 sachets of suspected shabu and a white porcelain bowl with suspected illegal drugs. Police also found a shell casing from a 9-mm firearm, a knife, and drug paraphernalia.

At Emma’s house, police confiscated more suspected shabu in seven sealed sachets, a heat-sealed big sachet and several opened transparent plastic sachets with improvised tooters and other drug paraphernalia. CBB