Drug suspect slain, 2 others held in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY — A suspected drug pusher was killed, while two others were arrested in separate police operations in the Bicol region between Tuesday night and early morning on Wednesday.

Authorities were about to serve a search warrant against Dian Pascual around 8 p.m.  on Tuesday in Barangay Sta. Cruz Sur, Iriga City in Camarines Sur province, when the latter fired his gun, forcing the police to shoot  and kill him, according to  Colonel Roderico Roy Jr., director of the Camarines Sur police.

Pascual, considered a high-value target, had a caliber .38 revolver with two live ammunition and a medium sachet and two small sachets of suspected shabu (crystal meth).

Two spent bullets from a caliber .38 revolver were also found in the crime scene, police said.

In Canaman town, also in Camarines Sur, drug suspect Virgilio Navidad, 62, was arrested in a separate search operation in Barangay San Agustin at 9:50 p.m. on Tuesday.

Seized from him were 11 medium sachets of shabu, aluminum foil, and a tooter with traces of shabu, said Roy.

In Catanduanes province, a search operation at 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Concepcion of Virac town led to the arrest of William Tablate, 37, said a report released by Major Antonio Perez, chief of Virac police.

Police recovered 19 sachets or 12 grams of shabu worth P80,000 from Tablate’s house.

LZB