Albayalde convenes meeting after ambush on FDA chief's envoy

NAGA CITY (Bicol Standard) — Police Director General Oscar Albayalde called for a command conference at the Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office Friday morning to identify possible lapses which led to the death of three police officers and injuries of four others in Lupi, Camarines Sur on Thursday.

In a closed-door conference attended by the chiefs of police in the towns of route taken by the convoy of Food and Drug Administration Director General Nela Charade Puno to Daet, Camarines Norte, he directed each to narrate the sequence of events.

People who were present at the conference were PNP Bicol Regional Director PCSupt. Arnel Escobal, PSSupt. Reynaldo Pawid, OIC of the Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office.

After the four-hour meeting, Albayalde proceeded to the multi-purpose hall inside the Camarine Sur Provincial Police Office grounds to pay respect to the fallen cops.

He personally conferred the Medalya ng Kadakilaan (posthumous) to the fallen cops.

The three officers, namely SPO1 Percival S. Rafael, PO3 Carlito S. Navarroza and PO1 Ralph Jason D. Vida, were rendering route security to Puno while on board a PNP patrol vehicle along Maharlika Highway portion of Sitio Castilla, Baranga Napolidan, Lupi, Camarines Sur when the incident occurred.

“Their courage and supreme sacrifice are clear manifestations of the highest form of service and deep devotion to their sworn duties as police officers worthy of praise and pride by the Philippine National Police,” the commendation reads.

Albayalde also had a brief meeting with the immediate members of the victims' family and assured them of full support.

Meanwhile, the victims' family asked President Rodrigo Duterte to help them find justice.

Albayalde later headed to the Mother Seton Hospital in this city to visit the other injured victims.

As of press time, it could not be ascertained who the principal target of the ambush was.

A continuous pursuit operation is still ongoing to trace the whereabouts of the perpetrators.
 

Melissa Basmayor is the editor-in-chief of the Bicol Standard, a regional partner of Philstar.com.