Four police officers to be honored on PNP anniversary

Four police officers will be honored on the 16th anniversary celebration of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday, in which President Arroyo will be the guest of honor.

The celebration was supposed to be held on Monday but the PNP leadership under PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon decided to postpone the event for two days to wait for Mrs. Arroyo who is set to return from the World Economic Forum conference in Switzerland.

Calderon said the celebration will be simple but memorable for the entire police force. A rookie cop, Police Officer 1 Jamaron Sandag, will receive the highly-coveted Medalya ng Kagitingan or PNP Medal of Valor from Mrs. Arroyo.

Sandag, a commando-trained policeman, earned the highest medal to be received by a law enforcer after he fought an attacking group of bandits and terrorists in Zamboanga del Sur.

The PNP leadership cited Sandag for his heroic and gallant stand against 100 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and Abu Sayyaf terrorists led by a certain Jairulla Hassan, better known as Kumander Hairon, who attacked the municipal hall and police station of Siocon on May 4, 2003.

Calderon said Superintendent Ricardo Villanueva will received the second highest award of the Medalya ng Kabayanihan or PNP Distinguished Conduct Medal for "conspicuous courage and gallantry in the face of armed enemy" in a clash with communist New People’s Army insurgents on April 6, 2004 in Sitio Mabato, Brgy Ayusan 1, Tiaong, Quezon.

Villanueva, group director of the Quezon Provincial Mobile Group, led a police team that engaged the heavily armed NPA rebels in a 20-minute gun battle that resulted in the killing of four NPA cadres and the discovery of an NPA plan to attack nearby cities and towns in the region.

A third awardee, Superintendent Ferdinand Divina, will receive the Medal ng Katapangan or PNP Bravery Medal in recognition of his acts of conspicuous courage and gallantry in action during a police operation on June 16, 2005 in Barangay Bagumbayan, Paete, Laguna that led to the killing of Edilberto Orosco, a notorious and elusive NPA leader.

Calderon noted that the PNP will also present individual awards of the Medalya ng Katangitanging Gawa to Senior Inspector Rowena Cecilia Acosta for her role in the successful launching of the PNP Special Housing Project in Camp Macabulos, Tarlac City; and Plaque of Merit to Atty. Virgilio Pablico of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), adjudged as the "Best Non-Uniformed Personnel of the Year 2006."

He noted that the CIDG-National Capital Region under Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina led the unit awardees for the arrest of six Magdalo mutineers, Col. Romeo Lazo, Col. Virgilio Briones and former Sen. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan. They are currently facing coup d’etat charges following their alleged failed attempts to oust President Arroyo last year.

Apart from the PNP award, Dolina’s unit will also receive a presidential citation in recognition of its accomplishments which virtually ended destabilization effort against the government.

Calderon said the Quezon City Police District is adjudged as the Best NCRPO Police District, which topped in the overall statistics of administrative and operational accomplishment against all forms of criminality, crime prevention and solution while the Valenzuela City Police Station is the Best NCRPO City Police Station.

The other PNP unit awardees are Police Regional Office I - Presidential Streamer Award as Best Police Regional Office Logistics Support Service — Chairman, NAPOLCOM Streamer Award as the Best National Administrative Support Unit; Crime Laboratory Group — Chief PNP Streamer Award as Best National Operational Support Unit; South Cotabato Police Provincial Office, PRO 12 — Best Police Provincial Office; Baguio City Police Office, PRO COR — Best City Police; Roxas City Police Station, PRO 6 - Best City Police Station; Daet Municipal Police Station, PRO 5 - Best Municipal Police Station; Regional Mobile Group PRO COR — Best Regional Mobile Group; 701st Provincial Mobile Group, Tagbilaran City, PRO 7 — Best Provincial Mobile Group; Batangas City Police Station, PRO 4A — Best Women & Children Protection Desk (Urban); Mercedes Municipal Police Station, Camarines Norte, PRO 5 — Best Women & Children Protection Desk (Rural).