Mar assures burial, financial aid to slain cops' families

MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas on Tuesday assured the families of the eight policemen who were killed in  an ambush by communist rebels in Cagayan province of financial and burial assistance.

Roxas promised the quick turnover of all death benefits due to the families of the slain police personnel.

Each family will receive P250,000 from the President’s Social Fund, from P141,000 up to P181,000 each from the PNP’s SFA, burial benefits of no less than P50,000 each and gratuity of at least P203,000 each from the National Police Commission.

The Philippine National Police estimated that each of the family of the victims will receive between P1.5 million to P2 million on top of an estimated P15,000 monthly lifetime pension from the PNP and roughly the same amount for five years from the Napolcom.

Roxas also promised full medical benefits of P170,00 each to the seven others who were wounded during the attack.

Meanwhile,  Roxas condemned a New People’s Army attack in Cagayan province last Monday.

"We strongly condemn this attack because it is a kind of savagery that has no place in our society," he said.

Police recorded no single fire fight or violent incident between the police and rebels since six months ago, when the Special Action Force was redeployed to the province from another assignment.

The policemen were not on patrol operations when they were ambushed.

"This makes the attack all the more shocking and senseless since it was premeditated and carried out without provocation," Roxas said.

He called the police officers “heroes of our people.”

Authorities said the rebesl used a 25-meter-long detonation cord to set off the bomb as the police truck came into view. Two other bombs did not explode, the police said.