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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Cop's fall bares faults, defects in operations
CEBU CITY -- Changes will have to be made in the way the police conduct operations following the death of a rookie policeman last Monday.
Police Regional Office 7 Director Ronald Roderos will be sending a memorandum to remind all personnel to make sure a briefing is conducted before launching operations against persons deemed armed and dangerous.
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Roderos, who personally turned over financial assistance to the widow of PO1 Noriel Luage, said team leaders should assess situations properly and make sure the more experienced police officers are in the lead.
If there is still time, they should also borrow bulletproof vests and Kevlar helmets from Swat units that have these equipment.
Although he is saddened by Luage's death, Roderos said they should "move on and look at the lessons learned."
Luage, 29, of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, was shot while serving a search warrant against Ramon "Boy" Baclohan in Sitio Sab-a, Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City in a joint operation with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Comendador said the bullet that came from a .357 Magnum revolver pierced the right side of the policeman's face and lodged in his brain.
Luage was taken to a hospital but died minutes later.
Baclohan, who allegedly fired the first shot, was also killed by SPO1 Delfin Bontuyan, who was with Luage.
The flag at the city police headquarters' Camp Sotero Cabahug was flown at half-staff starting Tuesday as a sign of respect and honor to Luage.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said the flag will remain at half-staff until Luage will be buried.
Comendador said that apart from the financial support that Luage's family will receive from the Philippine National Police, CCPO personnel also pooled their resources to help the family of Luage.
The family will be receiving an insurance fund of P201,851 from the Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund Inc., six months' salary as special financial assistance from the PNP, P100,000 from the Presidential Social Funds and his leave credits and special benefits.
His only son Rafael, who is three years old, will also be given a scholarship until he graduates from college.
Filomeno Lim, president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, was also saddened to learn that Luage was killed in action.
Lim earlier announced he will give P2,000 to each of the police operatives who arrested suspected gunman Aristotle Aves hours before Luage died.
He arrived at the PRO 7 Tuesday and handed over the checks to Roderos. He added another envelope that he asked Roderos to give to Luage's widow.
Rohamma, his widow, told reporters that becoming a policeman was what Luage always dreamed of.
Even before they got married, she already knew that what he wanted to do was to be a police officer.
"Happy kaayo siya sa iyang trabaho (He was happy with his work)," she said.
Luage's colleagues called her up and informed her that he had been shot.
It was only at the hospital that she learned that her husband died from a single gunshot wound.
"Wala na gyud mi nakasturya kay wa na man siya (We were not even able to talk)," Rohamma said.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña promised the Cebu City Government will take care of the burial expenses of Luage and provide a job for the policeman's wife.
He also said a fund-raising will be started for Luage's family.
"I really want to (make an) appeal to the public because it's policemen like him who serve as model (and) raise the police's reputation," the mayor said.
He also announced that SPO1 Bontuyan, who shot dead the suspect who killed Luage, will get P50,000 from City Hall.
"It's my standard offer for permanently incapacitating a criminal," the mayor said.
The National Police Commission (Napolcom) 7 will also grant benefits and scholarship to the son of Luage.
Napolcom Regional Director Bernardo Calibo Tuesday directed the commission's legal team to assist Luage's family in speeding up the requirements needed to get the benefits.
As to questions whether the police officers committed lapses in the operation, Chief Inspector Rex Derilo of the CIDG 7 said there was none.
Both Derilo and Comendador said it was an accident.
Derilo said like any other operation, the joint teams from the CIDG 7 and CCPO conducted a briefing.
He said that ensuring the safety of the operatives, containing the area and arresting the subject are their priorities. However, there are just instances that accidents happen.
Comendador said Luage was prepared when he rushed in, as indicated by his cocked .45 Taurus pistol. "But there are circumstances beyond our control," he said.
Comendador hopes that the death of Luage will serve as an inspiration to the rest of the policemen, especially the new ones, to take their job seriously because "police service is not just a job; it is a way of life."
He said he is very sad that a policeman like Luage got killed.
""It's not every day that you see a very dedicated man, dako siya nga kawad-on," Comendador said. (MEA/JST/RHM/Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (December 12, 2007 issue)
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