Drug group ‘member’ dead in Laguna buy-bust

SAN PEDRO CITY — A suspected pusher, who was a member of an illegal drug group was killed in a buy-bust operation in Calamba City in Laguna province on Saturday evening, police said Sunday.

Laguna police director Col. Eleazar Matta said Alfredo Vivas was a member of the Barok Fajardo drug group and was listed in the police watchlist at the provincial level.

In a text message, Matta said the police conducted the buy-bust around 10:30 p.m. at the Pamana Village in Barangay Bucal.

Police Corporal Jonnel Cristobal and Staff Sargeant Rovio Aceveda went undercover to buy shabu (crystal meth) from Vivas.

Matta said Vivas must have realized they were policemen when he pushed Cristobal and fired his gun.

Cristobal managed to seek cover as Vivas tried to flee, but a back-up team of policemen cornered him. Vivas was hit and died in the brief exchange.

Police recovered a .38 caliber gun and suspected shabu worth at least P6,000. Maricar Cinco /lzb