PNP chief fetes 2 Manila cops

MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa awarded two Manila policemen for their exemplary dedication to duty.

PO2 Mel Bautista of the Station 4’s Gulod Police Community Precinct and PO1 Gester Versoza of the Jose Abad Santos Station 7 were commended during the flag raising ceremony at the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame Monday.

Bautista was conferred the Medalya ng Kagalingan for responding to a jeepney robbery in Tondo, Manila last February 23.

Suspect Arnulfo Bamiscal was running away from a jeepney he had robbed when Bautista, who was on board a motorcycle with his wife and child at the time, chanced upon him.

Bautista promptly chased Bamiscal who ran into an alley in Moriones, Tondo. Upon his arrest, the suspect’s identity was confirmed through closed-circuit television footage of the incident.

On the other hand, Versoza was awarded the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting. He is assigned at the Jose Abad Santos Station Intelligence Unit.

Last Feb. 24, he was attacked and stabbed in the chest while he was on his way home on board his motorcycle on Fajardo St. in Sampaloc. The assailant, Reynaldo Lee Jr. later died at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital.

Before the incident, Lee who was drunk had an argument with his mother, Emidarda Mangcopa, ran down the street and then kicked the policeman’s motorcycle before attacking him with a Swiss knife.

Lee then chased after Versoza, who was knocked off his motorcycle, before the police officer finally drew his gun and shot him.