Another drug suspect dies in Lipa City shootout
July 11, 2016 | 9:25am
LIPA CITY, Philippines (The Filipino Connection) – Another suspected drug pusher died in a shootout with authorities during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Anilao Proper here on Saturday evening, police said.
Superintendent Carlos Barde, Lipa City police chief, identified the fatality as Rolando Bellen, alias Kalbo, a resident of Sto. Tomas, Batangas.
Members of the Lipa City police’s Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Group conducted the said operation at about 11:15 pm.
PO1 Elijones Lat, who acted as poseur-buyer, handed over P500 in marked money to the suspect, who handed him a sachet of shabu in return. At that point, another drug operative, PO1 Fernando Pedro, introduced himself as a police officer.
Instead of yielding to authorities, however, police said the suspect suddenly drew a firearm from his sling bag and shot at Pedro twice but missed.
PO1 Pedro fired back and Bellen was wounded after a brief exchange of shots. His companion fled in the direction of Padre Garcia on a motorcycle, the police chief said.
Police immediately brought the suspect to NL Villa Memorial Medical Center in Lipa City for treatment but Bellen was declared dead on arrival. A photograph of the suspect showed at least three gunshot wounds in his chest.
Recovered from the crime scene were a cal.357 revolver with four unfired bullets and two fired shells. Police also recovers a sling bag with different keys, seven cal.357 bullets, three fired cartridge cases and one fired 9mm bullet, P500 in marked money, a P20 bill, and a pouch with five sachets of suspected shabu worth P1,300.
The victim’s younger brother Efren denied that Rolando is a drug pusher but admitted that his brother owned a gun. He said the family is in shock over the death and will call for an autopsy.
Last Tuesday, an alleged top drug personality and his son were killed after they fired at a composite police team serving a search warrant for illegal guns. Police said the suspects shot at them when they introduced themselves as law enforcement officers.
The government has been stepping up operations against alleged drug pushers and dealers as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign against drugs and crime.
The Filipino Connection is a new newspaper in Lipa City, Batangas
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