Alleged drug pusher slain in Lucena drug sting

LUCENA CITY –– A fisherman, who was suspected to be a drug pusher, was killed in a police anti-drug operation here on Monday night.

Anti-illegal drugs operatives killed Ricardo Villarante, 54, after he allegedly sold “shabu” (crystal meth) to an undercover police officer in Barangay Cotta at 7:25 p.m., said a report from Colonel Audie Madrideo, Quezon police chief.

The report said that as the police were about to make the arrest, Villarante struggled and pulled a caliber 38 revolver from his waist.

The policeman managed to run away, but the suspect gave chase and shot but missed his target.

A back-up policeman returned fire and killed the suspect on the spot.

The authorities recovered the handgun from the slain suspect and a sachet of shabu worth P500 in the street market.

Earlier that day, Niño Gervacio, 26, a detainee at the Pagbilao district jail in Barangay Talipan in the nearby town of Pagbilao, was caught by a jail guard with at least eight plastic sachets of shabu weighing 1.20 grams and worth P6,600 in the street market.

The inmate was caught during a surprise inspection inside one of the jail cells at 4:10 p.m./lzb