Medals, promotion for hero cop

Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. promoted and pinned two PNP medals on hero cop SPO1 Charlito Corpuz, who was also promoted to the next rank for single-handedly killing three bus robbers in a shootout over the weekend.

Corpuz, his wife and a two-year-old child also received a cash award from Ebdane as well as financial assistance for his hospital expenses.

Ebdane and ranking PNP officials, including Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon, paid Corpuz a visit yesterday at the Victor Potenciano General hospital in Mandaluyong City, where the officer was recuperating for a gunshot wound in the right arm.

Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, director of the Eastern Police District, said Sergio Ortiz Luis, head of the EPD Council of Elders and civic groups led by Donald Dy of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and John Kaw of the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. also handed Corpuz cash awards in recognition of his bravery.

In the presence of police, businessmen and civic groups, Ebdane pinned the PNP Medal of Merit and PNP Wounded Personnel Medal on Corpuz.

Last Saturday, the officer shot it out with three robbers on board a JMK-Jojo aircon bus in Mandaluyong City.

Corpuz, an investigator assigned at the Police Community Precinct (PCP) in Kalentong, was on his way to report for work when the robbers struck. Although wounded in the right arm, Corpuz kept on firing with his left hand until all three suspects were neutralized, said Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief.

Valenzuela said Corpuz was a former member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) tasked to secure important personalities of the country.

"Being a PSG man, he was tasked to secure VIPs so he was trained to shoot with both hands," Valenzuela told The STAR.

He said the shooting competition he initiated among his PCPs last week also contributed to the building up of Corpuz’s confidence in his shooting prowess. – Non Alquitran