President Duterte and PNP Chief Gen. Ronald dela Rosa condoled with the widows and families of police officers in the mountains of Guihulngan City, namely: City Police Chief Supt. Arnel Arpon, PO2 Alfredo Dunque, PO2 Alvin Bolandres, PO3 Teovic Agusto, SPO2 Nicasio Tabilon, and SPO1 Jesael Ancheta.
They were killed in line of duty, giving the ultimate sacrifice to serve and to protect our nation.
Three other policemen, namely: SPO4 Jerome Delara, PO2 Jorie Maribao, and PO3 Jordan Balderas were reportedly injured.
The ambush was perpetrated by 60 heavily-armed New People’s Army rebels.
May the heroic deeds of our soldiers live on, and serve as a vehicle for discernment for those who espouse the communist ideology. Let us continue to pray for the souls of those departed and their families in this difficult time of mourning.
Time and again, President Duterte has shown his personal concern by taking time to pay his respects to the families of those who were killed in the line of duty.
No other President of the Republic has done so. Duterte always shows that he personally feels responsible for the fate of those who are tasked to defend the nation against rebels or invaders.
The fallen police officers were responding to a call for police assistance from Councilor Edison de la Rita on Friday morning, saying that he was ambushed in barangay Magsaysay. His aide Michael Jambalos was killed.
A team of about 15 police personnel headed by the City Police Chief immediately responded on board a police patrol vehicle around 10 a.m., with some on board motorcycles. However, upon reaching Sitio Masid-e in barangay Magsaysay, they were ambushed by about 60 NPA rebels, armed with at least two M60 machine guns. At least five of the responding policemen, armed with M16 and M4 rifles, held their ground while calling for reinforcement.
The Guihulngan incident illustrates the varied responsibilities of a police officer, facing the inherent dangers while performing duties relative to keeping the peace, law enforcement, protection of people and property, and the investigation of crimes, among others.
A salute to the fallen police officers. May they rest in peace. Thank you, President Digong Duterte!
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
