Mall guard gets accolade from national association

The security guard, who informed the police about two suspected terrorists in a mall at the north reclamation area last May 11, received a commendation from a national association during ceremonies at the Police Regional Office Headquarters yesterday.

The Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency, Operators, Inc. in Central Visayas awarded a plaque of appreciation to Bienvenido Bonan Jr., of Maya Security and Investigation Agency, Inc, who has been detailed as a mall guard.

PADPAO-7 president Leopoldo Blanco Jr. personally handed the citation to Bonan before regional police officials.

Bonan was the mall guard who called up the police about two men that he saw leaving a white plastic bag containing a box, which was later found to be an improvised explosive device, near an entrance of the mall complex.

Bonan was also the one who told responding policemen about the description of the two men and where they were heading in their apparent escape.

All these information that Bonan provided had enabled the police to catch up with the two men which, in turn, shot it out with the pursuing policemen.

The policemen subsequently killed the two men-later identified as Ali Usop, alias Alex, and Datu Neil Ulama, alias Victor Jimenez-who the police said were suspected terrorists. - Gregg M. Rubio