Wednesday, August 01, 2007 Off-duty policeman, with family in tow, arrests armed snatcher
WITH his kids and wife in tow, an off-duty policeman arrested an armed snatcher.
For his exemplary performance, PO2 Nestor Jayma Daclison was commended and given a certificate of appreciation in a simple ceremony at the Mabolo Police Station yesterday morning.
Daclison is a beat patrol policeman at the Mabolo Police Station detailed in the Banilad area.
At 5:15 p.m. last July 22, he and his family had just come out from the Basilica del Sto. Niño after hearing mass when a knife-totting snatcher, later identified as Ramil L. Manatad, took the Chinese gold necklace of Margie Y. Sanchez, who was walking with her daughter on Osmeña Blvd. near the basilica.
Manatad also attempted to stab CCTN 47 reporter Jonalyn Jumabes who got off from a jeepney and inadvertently blocked the way of the fleeing snatcher.
Commotion
Daclison noticed the commotion. Without hesitation, he boarded his motorcycle bringing along his kids, aged 5 and 6, and his wife in pursuing the snatcher.
Two traffic enforcers reportedly tried to arrest Manatad but were taken aback because the latter allegedly attacked them. After a brief chase, Daclison arrested Manatad in the nearby Lincoln St., Barangay Sto. Niño.
“Gikan mi simba unya nakabantay ko nga snatching gyud ni. Ang ako ato nga makatabang sa biktima. Wala na nako gihuna-huna akong pamilya (I knew it was a snatching incident. I really wanted to help the victim. I wasn’t even thinking about the safety of my family),” Daclison said, who has been in the service for the past nine years.
He added that since their motto is to serve and protect, he wanted to do the same by serving the public.
For this, Acting Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador and Insp. Lourdes Ingente, CCPO administrative section chief, handed the certificate to Manatad, with a portion of the certificate saying, “this laudable act bespeaks well of your professionalism and dedication to duty.”
Comendador, in an interview, hopes that the other policemen emulate such acts.
“We need this kind of officer,” Comendador said.
Mabolo Police Station Chief Armando Radoc also said that since the designation of Manatad in 2004, the latter has been one of their hardworking police personnel.
Radoc said Manatad was also to deliver tasks assigned to him. (JST)
