BEFORE he held the rank of Police Officer 1 and died yesterday morning, Christopher Ruiz Jr. entered the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in 2013.
He was supposed to graduate two years from now and would get the rank of Inspector. But he failed to continue in the academy, after he and more than 80 cadets were allegedly forced to resign without legal grounds.
PNPA superiors were allegedly mad at Ruiz and his companions for stopping to run during a series of exercises after their oath-taking in May 2013.
Ruiz, 23, eventually fulfilled his dream to become a member of the police force after he graduated from the Regional Training School in Consolacion last June 16.
“Wala ko mag-encourage niya nga mosulod pagkapolis. Na-influence tingali siya kay polis man ko sa una (I did not encourage him to become a policeman. He could be influenced since I was a policeman before),” said the policeman’s father, lawyer Christopher Ruiz Sr.
He added: “Iyaha ra gyud nang desisyon (It was his decision).”
Six days after graduation, his namesake is dead. (The elder Ruiz was a police officer before he passed the bar exams in 2005.)
The younger Ruiz was reportedly electrocuted inside the headquarters of the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) 7 in Barangay Bahay, Sibonga yesterday morning.
Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, RPSB 7 chief, said Ruiz was with ten other officers, training on “internal security operation.”
“We are conducting a deeper investigation on the incident,” he said in a phone interview.
Accident
Initial inquiry showed Ruiz’s death was an accident.
Gairanod denied the rookie policeman underwent hazing.
“It did not happen. There is no hazing in the camp,” he said.
The police official was told that the group passed by the St. Joseph Chapel at past 10 a.m., where Ruiz accidentally touched a live wire and suffered electric shock.
RPSB 7’s medics gave first aid to Ruiz before he was rushed to Sibonga Rural Health Center.
Afterwards, Ruiz was brought to the South General Hospital in Naga City. He was declared dead at past 1 p.m.
Gairanod said the counter-insurgency training for Ruiz’s batch started last Saturday.
He already reported the incident to the Police Regional Office 7.
For Ruiz, he said he will wait for the result of the investigation.
He said his son was a graduate of University of Cebu (UC) with a degree in information technology.
Law school
The rookie policeman took up law in UC, before deciding to join the PNPA. He was the youngest in a brood of two.
“Kagabii niadtong Domingo, nag-esturya mi. Gipadali-dali nako siya og esturya aron makapahuway siya og sayo (Last Sunday night, we talked. I told him to be quick so he could rest early),” said Ruiz.
Ruiz told his father he would survive the training, even though he had a boil on his back.
“Grabe to siya’g preparasyon, sige siya’g exercise. Natagam siya sa PNPA (He prepared hard, exercised frequently. He didn’t want a repeat of the PNPA),” said Atty. Ruiz.