Alleged drug pusher slain in Lucena buy-bust

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Police killed an alleged drug pusher when shooting erupted during a buy-bust operation here Sunday night, police said.

Anti-illegal drugs operatives killed Ferdinand Legaspi, 40, when he and associate Reynante Frias, reportedly resisted arrest after they sold “shabu” to an undercover policeman in Barangay (village) Dalahican at about 8:45 p.m., Senior Supt. Robert Arguelles, Quezon police director, said in a report Monday.

According to the report, as the undercover cop was about to arrest the suspects after the transaction, Legazpi and Frias both pulled their respective handguns and shot at the police officer and other back-up operatives but missed their targets.

Another policeman shot back and killed Legazpi. Frias managed to escape.

Authorities recovered Legazpi’s caliber .38 revolver and seven plastic sachets of shabu worth P15,000 in the street market.

Police said the slain suspect was a former detainee on drug charges who regained his freedom on plea bargaining agreement with the court.

Police tagged Legazpi and Frias as among the major suppliers of shabu to dock workers, fishermen, tricycle drivers and students in the coastal village and nearby areas. /cbb