MANILA, Philippines - The police officer among the four honor guards in the funeral cortege of the late former President Corazon Aquino last Aug. 5 has been promoted to the next rank and issued a new .45 caliber pistol.
Now Police Officer 2 Danilo Malab Jr., a member of the Headquarters Support Service at Camp Crame, received his Medalya ng Kasanayan or the PNP Efficiency Medal from Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.
Aside from the new pistol and medal, Malab also received P10,000 from the PNP as well as health insurance from the Public Safety Savings and Loan Association Inc.
Meanwhile, PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, said the PNP will also look into the possibility of entering Malab’s feat in the Guinness Book of Records under the entry “endurance in standing at attention.”
“The PNP is particularly proud of PO2 Malab who really showed what a disciplined police officer should be. He displayed true dedication to duty and professionalism which should be emulated by all personnel of the Philippine National Police,” Espina said.
For his part, the 25-year-old Malab said he is grateful for the special promotion saying it usually takes at least three years before a Police Officer 1 can get a promotion to the next rank.
“I will forever be truly grateful for the special promotion granted to me by the chief PNP and the Philippine National Police. It has reinforced my resolve to give all my best to serve our people,” Malab said in Filipino.
Malab and three other honor guards – Army Pfc. Antonio Cadiente, Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan of the Air Force and Navy Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez – have been receiving praise for displaying exceptional discipline in the performance of their tasks.
Malab and the three honor guards stood at attention throughout the entire 20-kilometer funeral procession from Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque. The procession lasted about nine hours.
The PNP also presented yesterday awards to the other police officers and personnel who served various duties during the funeral like the vigil guards at La Salle Greenhills and the Manila Cathedral as well as the pallbearers.
Also recognized were police honor guards SPO3 Philip Buhain and PO3 Maria Maralit and pallbearers PO2 Marcel Tadeo and PO2 Gilbert de la Cruz.
More commendations
At the Senate, Sen. Lito Lapid has filed a resolution commending the four honor guards and the driver of the flat bed truck that carried the casket containing President Aquino’s remains from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park.
In Senate Resolution 1267, Lapid said he wants the four honor guards commended “for their exceptional display of valor, discipline and dedication to duty during the more than nine hours of funeral procession of the late former President Aquino.” Truck driver Jerry Orbiso was also behind the wheel of the flower-bedecked truck that transferred Mrs. Aquino’s remains from De La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral on Aug. 3.
“The exceptional display of dedication to duty demonstrated by the four honor guards and Orbiso deserved to be commended for the honor they brought to the country as well,” Lapid’s two-page resolution read.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, has also filed a resolution expressing admiration for the four honor guards, called the “Fantastic Four” by the late president’s grandson, Jiggy Aquino Cruz. – With Christina Mendez