City cops donate blood as colleague dies of dengue

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

Triggered by the death of a police officer due to dengue, the Iloilo City Police Office spearheaded a bloodletting drive on July 11, 2019.

The Iloilo Baptist Church in Jaro district, Iloilo City served as the venue for the activity, which gathered scores of policemen and force multipliers to donate blood.

“Through this bloodletting activity, we hope to help and save lives of those who are in need of blood,” said Police Colonel Martin Defensor, Jr., Iloilo City police chief.

The 140 donors are mostly policemen from Iloilo City Police Stations 1, 2, 3, and 4 and force multipliers such as Kabayan International Fearless Anti Crime Organization (KIF ACO), Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT)-Jaro District, and IBC students.

Forty-four bags of blood (450 ml per bag) were collected.

Defensor, who was also one of the donors, said they had been planning to do a bloodletting drive since then but their resolve to realize it was further buoyed following the death of a policeman due to dengue.

According to reports, Staff Sergeant Marvin Dalumpines of San Remigio Police Station in Antique died last week after he was diagnosed with dengue fever.

He was reportedly suffering from fever but could have dismissed it as ordinary fever, thus he continued reporting for work.

Dalumpines was already in critical stage when he sought for medical treatment.

Police Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) spokesperson, said they learned that Dalumpines was later brought to a hospital in Iloilo City and was asking for blood donors.

But he eventually succumbed to dengue.

Defensor said they initially planned of holding the bloodletting activity in February 14, 2020.

“But because of what happened, we opted to conduct it immediately,” he said.

Yesterday’s bloodletting activity was done in consonance with the 24th Police Community Relations Month of the PNP, which adopted the theme “Sambayanan Mahalagang Kaakibat ng Kapulisan sa Pagtataguyod nang Mapayapa at Maunlad na Bayan.”

It was done in partnership with the Philippine National Red Cross and Iloilo Baptish Church headed by Pastor Rick Martin.