Decorated ex-cop killed in shootout

CEBU, Philippines - A former police officer died in a shootout with Provincial Intelligence Branch operatives past 9 p.m. yesterday in Barangay Luray I, Toledo City.

Terry Tubalado was pronounced dead at Toledo City Hospital after he sustained gunshot wounds to his body. He has a rank of Police Officer 3 but was dropped from the rolls of the Philippine National Police for being absent without official leave.

Superintendent Rodolfo Albotra, PIB chief, in a press briefing yesterday, said the police received several reports against Tubalado for being armed, sometimes with a hand grenade and  would throw it to bystanders without removing the pin.

Tubalado would also allegedly sometimes be seen indiscriminately firing around the area which caused alarm in the neighborhood.

“Naay nagtambay nga giitsahan niya og granada pero wala ibta ang pin, naa ni siya’y record nga magpabuto sa ilaha,” said Albotra.

 When reports reached Albotra’s office, he said they validated it through surveillance operations. Having confirmed the report, PIB operatives applied at least two search warrants for illegal possession of firearms and for possession of explosives.

The police then served Tuesday night the search warrants issued by Branch 25 Judge Jerry Dicdican. 

Albotra said the operatives chanced upon the suspect sniffing shabu inside the house, but when Tubalado saw the police officers, he pulled out his caliber .45 pistol and opened fired at them. The operatives retaliated, hitting Tubalado in the different parts of his body.

Tubalado was rushed to the Toledo City Hospital for immediate treatment but was declared dead on arrival.

The operatives who served the search warrants recovered a cal. 45 pistol with eight live ammunition and four empty shells; a medium pack and a small pack of suspected shabu; drug paraphernalia and a fragmentation grenade in the house.

Tubalado was a recruit of the Police Regional Office 13 in CARAGA Region, but was relieved and reassigned to PRO-7 where he served at the Argao Police Station, Toledo City Police Station, Provincial Public Safety Company, Talisay City Police Station and Compostela Police Station.

He was a decorated police officer having received nine Medalya ng Papuri, three Medalya ng Kasanayan, two Medalya ng Paglilingkod sa Mindanao, a Medalya ng Paglaban sa Magliligalig, and a PNP Badge of Honor in his 11 years of service.

The Medalya ng Papuri he received was awarded by former PRO-7 director, Chief Superintendent Danilo Constantino, on March 14, 2013.

However, Tubalado went missing the same year and was marked AWOL and was charged administratively.

His penalty was his dismissal from the PNP rolls. —(FREEMAN)