Thursday, December 13, 2007 Glo may visit cop’s wake
PRESIDENT Arroyo might visit the wake of PO1 Noriel Luage, after Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem informed Malacañang that the neophyte policeman died in action last Monday afternoon.
The Presidential Management Staff asked for details from him, just in case Arroyo can make time to condole with Luage’s family.
Meanwhile, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is urging Cebuanos to pray for the family of Luage, who died of a gunshot wound while serving a search warrant on a suspect in Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City.
Earlier that day, Luage was awarded for being part of the team that arrested Aristotle Aves, who was one of Cebu’s most wanted persons for a series of fraternity-related killings.
Luage was with SPO1 Delfin Bontuyan when they served a warrant on Ramon “Boy” Baclohan, who was also wanted for several crimes.
As he tried to elude the police officers, Baclohan allegedly fired a shot, hitting the rookie policeman.
Luage died several minutes after being taken to the Chong Hua Hospital.
Baclohan, 54, was also shot dead by Bontuyan as the suspect allegedly kept firing inside his house in Sitio Sab-a. He was reportedly a cohort of Aves.
For the cardinal, the incident caused sadness that “not everyone can talk about the matter.”
Vidal also called on the flock to pray for the Philippine National Police so that its officers will be able to deal with the sad events and continue to do their jobs.
“Of course, we are sad about that. We are praying that the Lord will always be giving them (PNP and Luage’s family) the light, the real thing, and the reason in order for them to be able to remedy the situation because it affects the lives of the people. The sadness is there, so sudden. For that we have to pray,” Vidal told reporters yesterday.
The cardinal celebrated the 74th feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City. (NRC/With LCR)
