Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Cop gets P100T from mayor, medal over dawn shootout
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is giving P100,000 as reward to the Parian Police Station’s PO3 Erwin Ferrer, who was wounded while responding to an armed person alarm last Monday.
Ferrer was also awarded the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting after getting injured in the line of duty. He managed to shoot back and kill the suspect despite being shot in the chest.
“He will receive P100,000 from the City. Fifty thousand (pesos) for gallantry, P50,000 for killing the other guy, as I promised,” Osmeña said in an interview yesterday.
Ferrer will be the first policeman to receive the cash reward after Osmeña made the announcement last May 26.
Also yesterday, Chief Supt. Federico Terte, deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, led the pinning of the medal on Ferrer in a ceremony inside the latter’s room at Chong Hua Hospital.
PRO 7 Director Ronald Roderos and Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador visited Ferrer at the hospital hours after the police officer got injured while responding to an armed person alarm at 3 a.m. last Monday.
More aid
They also gave financial assistance to Ferrer in separate visits later that day.
Ferrer was hit in the chest during an alleged shootout with Christopher Reponte on Sikatuna St., Barangay Day-as, Cebu City.
Ferrer, 38, tried to accost Christopher Reponte at 3 a.m. last Monday when the latter fired at him.
The policeman took a bullet in his chest but managed to fire back and hit Reponte also in the chest, killing him on the spot.
After learning of the incident, the mayor said Ferrer will be rewarded for his bravery.
Osmeña announced his policy of giving rewards to policemen who neutralize criminals two days after eight men robbed adjacent jewelry stores along Magallanes St., taking with them around P13 million in items and cash.
In that incident, an off-duty Regional Mobile Group (RMG) policeman traded shots with the robbers after they boarded their getaway vehicle.
The mayor has announced that if the RMG policeman, who said he probably hit two of the robbers, can prove that he killed one, he will get P50,000.
Osmeña believes the reward will dissuade robbers from preying on Cebuanos.
“I’m trying to create a deterrent. That’s what I’m trying to do,” he has said.
It is not the first time for the City Government to give out a cash reward to a policeman for shooting suspected criminals.
During the Charter Day celebration in 2005, the mayor gave a special award and P50,000 to PO3 Adonis Dumpit for shooting a suspected robber.
Dumpit is currently a close-in security officer of the mayor. (RHM/JST)
