A DISMISSED police officer was killed in a shootout after he opened fire with the operatives during a drug bust against two newly identified drug personalities at Barangay 20, Bacolod City early Thursday, June 28.

Police identified the fatality as dismissed Police Officer 3 (PO3) Richard Dollosa, 35, of Barangay Progreso, Binalbagan town. He was previously assigned at the Second Mobile Force of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) Western Visayas when he failed to undergo a random drug test in March 2015.

He was then assigned as an intelligence officer at Candoni Municipal Police Station before he had gone absent without official leave (AWOL).

In January 2017, Dollosa was dismissed from the service for serious neglect of duty by being AWOL for 87 days.

Chief Inspector Sherlock Gabana, public information officer of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said in a press release that Dollosa allegedly shot Inspector Adrian James Albaytar, assistant team leader of City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU), when the latter questioned his presence at the area during the operation around 4:10 a.m.

Dollosa allegedly shot Albaytar two times but missed. It then prompted the operatives to return fire and hit Dollosa on his chest.

The dismissed police officer was rushed to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), where he was declared dead.

The hospital nurse was able to recover from Dollosa two sachets of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), drug paraphernalia, knife, pouch, and a wristwatch.

Authorities claimed that Dollosa was an alleged drug user and pusher, and was also a gunrunner.

He was also under the watchlist and intelligence monitoring of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo).

Dollosa will be subjected for autopsy and paraffin test.

Meanwhile, CDEU operatives arrested Jessie Concengco, 23, of Binalbagan town; and Paul Chavez, 24, of Barangay Estefania, Bacolod City after they both yielded five sachets of suspected shabu worth P140,000, P1,000 marked money, jewelry box, and a .45 caliber pistol.

The two suspects, who refused media interview, are detained at Police Station 4.

They will be facing charges for sale and possession of drugs, and firearm.

As this developed, Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO) Western Visayas, who was in Bacolod City yesterday, commended the accomplishment of the BCPO.

"Maging sino ka man, kasama dati o ngayon, kung involve ka sa katiwalian, you will end up just like that," (whoever you are, as long as you are involve in any illegal activity, you will end up just like that), Bulalacao said, who met and talked with the personnel of BCPO and Nocppo.

He also added: "if police conduct operations and if you will get arrested, please make sure you do not resist so that nothing will happen to you."

Bulalacao said he also informed Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of Philippine National Police (PNP) about the incident, adding that the latter congratulated them.

"I am happy that police here are doing their jobs to stop the problem of illegal drugs and other forms of criminality," he said.

Bulalacao stressed that the regional headquarters are strictly implementing the order of the national headquarters on internal cleansing.

"This time, we must continue the fight against illegal drugs because President Rodrigo Duterte wants to put in prison the last member of the community who is involved in drugs," Bulalacao said.

He said he receives many reports about erring policemen or even politicians through their hotline.

Bulalacao said they continue to do intelligence monitoring on AWOL policemen and those tagged in any illegal activity.