Police officer bags award

The junior police officer who hogged the limelight for neutralizing kidnapping and car syndicates in Cavite City and for being instrumental in the arrest of a controversial politician’s son bagged one of the most prestigious awards for police excellence in the country.

Senior Superintendent Rhodel Sermonia, chief of Cavite police force, led this year’s awardees of the Country’s Outstanding Policemen in Service (COPS) given by the Metrobank Foundation and the Rotary Club of New Manila East.

President Arroyo will formally confer the awards at Malacañang on Monday. Sermonia and the nine other police awardees will receive trophies and a cash gift of P100,000 each from the Metrobank Foundation.

At the presentation of awardees at Camp Crame yesterday, Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. lauded the awardees for enhancing the image and performance of the PNP.

"After doing a good job in the solution of crime, they have the courage to kindly refuse any kind of gifts from the beneficiaries. Theirs is a duty to perform," he said, stressing the importance of professionalism in the police force.

Sermonia was likewise adjudged the PNP Junior Officer of the Year during the PNP’s 12th anniversary.

"I am humbled by the award. We were chosen for having served the PNP and the public through various projects that helped uplift the community," he said.

Another top police officer, Senior Police Officer 1 Benigno Andamon of the Sto. Tomas police in Davao del Norte, said that getting the award is synonymous to correcting the impression that policemen cannot be trusted.

"I would like to say that the police can be trusted, the very reason why we are here right now," he said.

The COPS award started as the search for the best community oriented policemen by the Rotary Club of New Manila East. This year, the Metrobank Foundation partnered with the Rotary to give recognition to commissioned and non-commissioned officers with outstanding achievements in implementing the law and mobilizing the community in maintaining peace and order.