8 cops honored for busting crime group

MANILA, Philippines - Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr., Western Visayas police chief pinned medals yesterday to eight policemen for their role in the busting of a robbery syndicate in Capiz province.

Awarded the Philippine National Police (PNP) Medal­ya ng Kagalingan were Senior Superintendent Renato Gumban, Capiz police provincial director; Superintendent Arnold Ardiente, commander of the Provincial Public Safety Company; Inspector Ness Vargas, chief of the Dumarao police station; Inspector Hilbert Gervero, and Senior Police Officer 3 Paterno Villarde Jr.; Police Officers 3 Leonardo Dorego and Candelario Calanza; and Police Officer 2 Jason Arcangeles.

Querol pinned the medals to the eight policemen during the flag-raising ceremony at Camp Martin Teofilo Delgado yesterday.

The police operatives were involved in the serving of arrest warrants against the members of “Totong Magno Robbery Group” in the morning of Feb. 18 at Barangay Tina, Dumarao, Capiz.

During the service of the arrest warrant by Vargas and Gervero, the suspects resisted arrest triggering a shootout that left two of the suspects, Gerone Lope and Julius Lope, dead.

Other gang members, including the group leader “Totong Magno,” eluded arrest.