Heroic bus detectives hailed

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. commended yesterday bus detectives from the Central Police District who were hurt while shooting it out with four suspects who attempted to rob passengers of a bus along Commonwealth Avenue the other day.

Belmonte visited PO1 Darwin Inocentes and PO1 Cyril Dagusen as well as PO3 Romulo Tarnate of Camp Crame at the Far Eastern University Hospital in Fairview yesterday. Tarnate, detailed at the Public Safety Police Office, was aboard the bus at the time he was hurt in the crossfire.

In close coordination with the Integrated Metro Bus Operators Association, the Philippine National Police fielded bus detectives two weeks ago in the metropolis as part of the all-out campaign against criminality.

"This serves as a warning to criminal elements in Quezon City, lawmen will get them sooner or later," Belmonte said.

The mayor was accompanied by Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco and CPD director Chief Superintendent Napoleon Castro, who also commended their men for thwarting the suspects while putting their lives on the line.

"This just proves the wisdom of fielding bus detectives has its positive effects and I enjoin the riding public to continue supporting and keeping faith in the PNP," Velasco said.

Belmonte also hailed the courage of passenger Analisa Roxas, who was hurt when the suspects used her as a human shield. Her composure, however, allowed the cops to neutralize the suspects.

Roxas told the mayor that she has been a commuter in the last 20 years and that this was the first time she became a victim of a holdup.

Velasco said it was unfortunate that one civilian was hurt, but if the detectives could have prevented casualties, they would have done so. He advised them to do their part by taking the necessary precautions during engagement.

Belmonte said the city government will assume all the hospital bills of the policemen and the passengers.

"The Quezon City government will also give appropriate awards for the policemen for their deed," he said.

The incident happened at around 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday inside a Lucky Seven bus (TWA-311) plying the Baclaran-Fairview route. The bus was on Commonwealth Avenue near Don Fabian in Barangay Commonwealth when four men armed with handguns announced the holdup.

As the bus reached Wilson street in front of the Unlad Pawnshop, bus detectives Inocentes and Dagusen introduced themselves as cops.

The suspects immediately fired at the two detectives, prompting the officers to retaliate, hitting suspects Jun Piraila and Ramon Jimenez. The other cop, Tarnate, and passenger Roxas were caught in the crossfire.

Piraila was killed on the spot, while the three other suspects alighted from the bus to escape but were pursued by a patrolling unit of CPD Station 5. Jimenez and another suspect, Carlito Bacul, were caught while the third made good his escape.

Jimenez died yesterday at the FEU Hospital from a gunshot wound. – With Non Alquitran, Katherine Adraneda