CAMP Macabulos, Tarlac – Police on Wednesday shot and killed a known drug pusher in the province during a buy-bust operation which turned into a bloody confrontation in Barangay Masalasa, Victoria, Tarlac.
Senior Supt. Ritchie Medardo Posadas, acting provincial director of Tarlac Police Office said the suspect identified as Victor dela Pena alias “Dodong” of Barangay Maligaya, Tarlac City confronted his men in a brief firefight to elude arrest.
Supt. Luis Ventura, chief of Tarlac Police Provincial Intelligence Branch and Drug Enforcement Unit said an entrapment operation was launched against Dela Pena after validating reports on his involvement in the distribution of illegal drugs in the province.
“After coordinating with the regional office of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Pampanga, we immediately organized a buy-bust operation for his arrest,” Ventura told reporters.
But before the buy-bust was consummated, the suspect detected that he was dealing with an undercover cop who acted as poseur-buyer in the operation.
When he was about to be caught the suspect pulled out a hand gun and engaged the lawmen in a gun battle. The suspect died on the spot due to bullet wounds in the body.
After the incident a SOCO team arrived and processed the crime scene. The team recovered from the suspect a cal. 45 pistol with defaced markings, seven spent shells of cal. 45, a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu and a sachet of dried marijuana leaves.