It was a first, the Cebu City Police Office said yesterday when it awarded a civilian woman, Rocelyn Laurencia Binoya, for helping another woman who was robbed by a lone robber, then chasing and fighting off the suspect until tanods arrived.
The robbery took place in front of Abellana National High School along Osmeña Blvd. last February 12. Binoya saw Jazzel Abellana held up by a robber and stole the victim’s cellphone.
Binoya, upon seeing the incident, quickly came to help Abellana and chased the suspect, later identified as Niño Bedoya Oraga, who tried to stop the chasing woman. Binoya however gave the suspect a fight until roving barangay tanods of barangay Sambag 1 noticed the commotion and went on to arrest Oraga.
The tanods, Camilo Lañas Intia and Nestor Misagel Delan, turned over the suspect to the police. They too were conferred with citations together with Binoya during the CCPO’ flag-raising ceremony. Oraga is now detained and was charged in court for robbery.
CCPO director, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, said that giving due recognition to people, either tanods or civilians, who unselfishly given their effort in the fight against criminality is a way to encourage others to do the same.
“Giving commendations to them (civilians and tanods) is to encourage them to join the fight against crimes, anang paagiha siguro ang mga tulisan ug dautang elemento magduha-duha na,” Comendador said.
Comendador said, Binoya maybe be mistaken easily as a fragile and demure woman but her bravery is more than her physical appearance.
Binoya, in her 20s, attended the ceremony yesterday wearing an all-“Kikay” outfit, a mini-skirt jean and a t-shirt, pink rubber shoes adorned with flowers and a bullcap; while the two tanods were more intense in their black tanod uniforms.
Comendador said there will be other civilians who may be given similar awards for helping the police fight crimes. He said there were tanods also from barangay Camputhaw who will be given awards for arresting two high school students who robbed and hogtied a taxi driver on Sunday dawn.
Yesterday, Comendador presented the three robbery suspects, identified as Antonio Suerte, 18, Michelle “Michael” Rosales,18, and Arnold Gastador, 31.
The two students robbed taxi driver Alexander Lanojan, 38, and took his P2,500 earnings, then tied his neck to the seat with a black electrical wire. Lanojan however managed to free himself and ask for help from roving tanods.
Gastador, on the other hand, was caught inside a house in Guadalupe that he was about to burgle on Saturday dawn. Residents beat up and arrested him. — Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE