Alleged drug pusher slain, 1 nabbed in Lucena buy-busts

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Police killed an alleged drug pusher and arrested another in separate buy-bust operations here Monday and Tuesday, police said.

Luisito Castillo, 45, reportedly sold P500 worth of shabu to a police agent in Barangay Ilayang Talim at about 10:35 p.m. Monday, said Supt. Reydante Ariza, Lucena police chief, said in a report.

When police tried to arrest Castillo, he allegedly resisted and opened fire at the lawmen with a caliber .38 revolver but missed. The drug enforcement operatives were forced to retaliate, killing the suspect.

Records of the Lucena police showed that Castillo was the fifth alleged drug pusher slain in the city since March 4.

Police reports said that the slain suspects resisted arrest and engaged policemen in shootouts.

On Tuesday, alleged village level shabu peddler, Reynaldo Zubia, 25, was arrested in Barangay Ibabang Dupay at about 2:35 a.m.

The suspect yielded four plastic sachets of shabu weighing 15.4 grams worth P77,000 at the street market price of P5,000 per gram.

Police tagged the suspect as a major supplier of shabu in Ibabang Dupay and nearby areas. He was the subject of complaints of residents in the place. /cbb