Monday, December 17, 2007
Advice at officer's funeral: 'Learn to live without fear'
TWENTY-ONE gunshots echoed throughout a Barangay Labangon, Cebu City cemetery at noon yesterday as a tribute to PO1 Noriel Luage.
Luage’s Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) colleagues and “Bigkis” batchmates wore black ribbons around their right arm to show their sympathy for the rookie policeman’s family.
The fallen policeman was just 29 years old.
A Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIIB) operative, Luage was shot and killed while serving a warrant on Ramon “Boy” Baclohan in Sitio Sab-a, Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City last Dec. 10.
It was a joint operation with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7.
CIDG’s SPO1 Delfin Bontuyan, who was beside Luage when he got shot in the face, killed Baclohan, who allegedly fired the first shot.
Luage died less than eight hours after he was awarded a Medalya ng Kagalingan for being part of a 14-man team that arrested Aristotle Aves, an alleged Alpha Kappa Rho hitman considered as one of the most wanted persons in the city.
A requiem mass celebrated by Fr. Diomedes Juezan at the Virgen de los Remedios Parish in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City preceded the burial.
In his homily, Fr. Juezan praised Luage’s dedication in carrying out his tasks.
The church was packed with mourning Philippine National Police (PNP) members, family, relatives, friends and Luage’s Salvador St., Labangon neighbors.
CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador and his deputy director for operations, Supt. Pablo Labra II, led their personnel in paying tribute to their fellow policeman.
City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., council peace and order committee chairman, also attended the funeral rites.
During the service, Luage’s batchmates sang Gary Valenciano’s “The Warrior is a Child,” moving nearly everyone to tears. They sang the same ballad when the Bigkis policemen took their oath of office as PNP members at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 quadrangle last March 2006.
PO1 Elmer Locresia, Luage’s closest friend, recalled how his colleague showed determination and patience to become a policeman and celebrated when he was picked in a batch of 100 recruits.
“Learn to live without fear; be glad to be alive, but don’t be afraid to die,” Senior Insp. George Ylanan managed to say before choking back tears.
Rohamma, Luage’s widow, spoke last and thanked their family, President Arroyo, the Cebu City Government, the PNP and friends for their sympathy and support.
Without her husband by their side, she said this Christmas will be her and three-year-old son Rafael’s loneliest. (JST)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (December 17, 2007 issue)
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