2 brothers slain in Lucena drug sting

LUCENA CITY –– Police killed two brothers, both alleged to be drug pushers, in a buy-bust operation that turned bloody here on Wednesday night, police said.

The local drug enforcement unit killed Jerry Taburdan, 36, and his younger brother, Benjie, 29, when they resisted arrest after they sold “shabu” (crystal meth) to an undercover policeman and an informant in Barangay Ibabang Iyam around 8:30 p.m., Lucena police chief Lt. Colonel Reydante Ariza said in a report.

When Jerry was about to be arrested after he sold shabu to the poseur-buyers, Benjie reportedly shot the approaching back-up policemen but missed his targets.

Another police officer returned fire and killed Benjie on the spot.

Jerry tried to escape while also firing at the policemen but missed.

Another police officer retaliated and shot the suspect who also died on the spot.

Recovered from the suspects, who were both in the local police drug watch list, was a sachet with about.30 grams of “shabu” worth around P1,650 and two caliber .38 revolvers./lzb