Mayor awards 11 cops for bravery

ELEVEN personnel of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) were awarded by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog on Monday for bravery in the conduct of a check point in Jaro district that killed an alleged gun-for-hire.

The award was given following a successful conduct of a check point by the police last October 13 at Barangay Our Lady of Lourdes in Jaro district that lead to a hot pursuit operation against Gilbie Peñafiel Principe.

Principe, a native of Barangay Iwa Macatol, Pototan, Iloilo, is linked to several robbery cases in Iloilo, particularly in the recent Kings Oil holdup in Pavia and has several pending warrants of arrest, the police said.

Chief Inspector Gilbert Gorrero, chief of Jaro Police Station 2, said police who were manning the checkpoint flagged down a motorist onboard a motorcycle. Instead of stopping, the suspect evaded and sped away prompting a chase by three motorcycle-riding policemen and a police patrol car.

Gorrero said the police cornered the suspect who hid in a comfort room inside the house of Georgia Baterna in nearby Del Carmen Street and convinced him to surrender.

Gorrero said that the suspect heeded their call but when the suspect opened the door of the comfort room, a powerful explosion rocked the vicinity. The suspect was instantly killed in the explosion while wounding two police officers.

Police Officer (PO) 3 Fidel Mosquito and PO1 Christian Lava who were both near the vicinity suffered shrapnel wounds but are now out of danger.

The police believed that the suspect already had the grenade during the chase and might have accidentally dropped it or had loosen his hold of it as he opened the door, thus it exploded that cost his life.

The shrapnel-riddled body of Principe, whose identity was not readily established by the police earlier, has been positively identified by his wife.
 
Mabilog said the dedication to duty shown by Mosquito and Lava and the rest of the police, who conducted the checkpoint, showed they are performing their job seriously.
 
Also lauded by Mabilog and ICPO Director Marietto Valerio are Inspector Primitivo Gallego, PO1 Ryan John Testigo, PO1 Raymund Rafio, P01 Alejo Pablo, PO1 Ronelo Banzuelo, PO1 Jade Jurillo, PO1 Michael Aguiling, PO1 Ryan Camiña, and PO1 Vincent Dumagpi. (Lydia C. Pendon/Sunnex/PNA)