Suspected drug pusher shot dead in Lucena bust

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – A suspected drug pusher was killed in an alleged shootout with policemen here on Tuesday afternoon.

Arnold Bathan, 42, was killed after he allegedly sold “shabu” (crystal meth) to an undercover police officer in Barangay Ibabang Iyam around 4 p.m., Lt. Colonel Reydante Ariza, Lucena police chief, said in a report.

Police said the suspect was having a drinking session when an undercover police called him across the street to buy shabu.

Upon sensing that he was transacting with an undercover police officer, Bathan ran back to the drinking table, grabbed his caliber .38 revolver from a sling bag and shot the police officer, but missed.

One of the back-up police officers in the bust, returned fire and killed Bathan on the spot.

Aside from the revolver, police also seized from Bathan a plastic sachet containing less than one gram of shabu.

Police said Bathan was a notorious drug pusher in the village and in nearby areas.  /muf