CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan — A policeman and a drug suspect died following an exchange of gunfire in a buy-bust operation early morning Sunday in Barangay Tigbe, Norzagaray town, this province.
Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Bulacan police director, identified the fatalities as PO3 Ronaldo Legaspi, who was assigned at the Norzagaray Police Station and Rolando Padura alias Jay Ar, 32, a resident of Block 18, Area H, City of San Jose del Monte.
Supt. Gerardo Andaya, Norzagaray police chief, said the anti-illegal drug operation resulted in an exchange of gunfire when Padura sensed that Legaspi was a poseur-buyer after he handed a sachet of suspected shabu.
Andaya said Padura died on the spot while Legaspi sustained four gunshot wounds in the stomach and chest and was rushed to the Ospital ng Lunsod ng San Jose del Monte but died later.
Police recovered from the site a .45 caliber gun, six plastic sachets of suspected shabu and spent shells from a .45 caliber and 9mm gun. (Manny Balbin/PNA)