Makati cop is first ‘Pulis Magiting’

MANILA, Philippines — A Makati policeman, who acted as the guardian of a high school student whose parents are in jail on drug charges, is the first recipient of the “Pulis Magiting” award yesterday.

Cpl. Claro Fornis received the award from National Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar in a ceremony at the NCRPO headquarters at Camp Bagong Diwa.

The award, a project of the NCRPO and Ayala Foundation, seeks to recognize police officers who show love of country by performing their duties with integrity, honesty, and honor, and who perform simple but truly admirable acts of daily heroism, according to a Facebook post by the foundation.

“This truly inspiring program, tells us policemen, that we are being monitored even by our business community and that we must be doing something good to merit their attention, encouragement and care,” Eleazar said.

He and Ayala Foundation president Raul Maranan signed a memorandum of agreement for the project yesterday.

Grade 7 student Angela Perez, 14, needed a guardian to sign documents she needed to enroll at the General Pio del Pilar National High School. With no relative to whom she could turn, she sought out Fornis, assigned to Police Community Precinct 1, for help.

Perez’s mother, arrested by Fornis for illegal drugs a month ago, is being held at the Makati City Jail. Perez’s father – who abandoned the girl’s mother and siblings years ago – is serving time at the same jail.