CSC cites fallen cops’ heroism

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Six police officers were posthumously recognized after they died while in the line of duty.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) cited cops who died in legitimate police operations during the Monday flag raising of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) headquarters at Camp Martin Delgado, Iloilo City on Dec 14.

Dubbed as CSC Pamanang Parangal sa Lingkod Bayani, it is the agency’s program that honors public servants who risked their lives or were killed while in the performance of their duty.

The recipients of the award were the late Police Captain Efren Espanto Jr.; Police Master Sergeant Arnel Paurillo; and Patrolmen Rex Agupitan, Prince Angelo Supiter, Emerson Peñarubia and Antonio Tumanday.

Espanto and Paurillo were killed by the New People’s Army in separate incidents.

Espanto, team leader of the Reconnaissance Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6, succumbed to a single gunshot wound on his head during an encounter on Feb 12, 2020 at Barangay Aglobong, a hinterland village some 25 kilometers away from Janiuay town proper in Iloilo.

The NPA also owned up to the killing of 42-year-old Paurillo on June 15 at Tubungan town.

Paurillo, a resident of Barangay Bongol, San Vicente, Guimbal, Iloilo, instantly died from around 17 gunshot injuries on different parts of his body.

Meanwhile, Peñarubia, Agupitan, Supiter, and Tumanday died after the truck they were riding plunged into a ravine at Alimodian, Iloilo afternoon of Feb 29, 2020.

The four were part of the 32 personnel from the 601st Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RDMB) who joined a police operation.

The immediate family of the deceased police officers received P100,000 financial assistance each and a scholarship grant.

Nelson Sarmiento, CSC-Region VI director, personally handed out the grants.