4 brave BJMP officers honored
THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) honored the four personnel who gallantly stood their ground against an armed group in an ambush while escorting a Chinese detainee last Monday.
Jail Director Ruel Rivera personally awarded the Medalya ng Kagalingan – on the day the country celebrates the Araw ng Kagitingan -to the four brave escorts who foiled the alleged attempt of six suspects to snatch the person deprived of liberty (PDL) from their custody.
A separate Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting was also bestowed to J02 Joseph Talanquines at the Ospital ng Paranaque, where he was taken after sustaining a gunshot wound in the left shoulder.
“Ang kanilang mabilis at mahusay na tugon ay sumasalamin ng kanilang katapangan, propesyonalismo, at tunay na serbisyo-publiko,” Rivera said.
Investigation showed that the four officers were on escort duty transporting a PDL Hu Yang back from a court hearing in Makati RTC Branch 235 to the BJMP facility in Bgy. La Huerta, Paranaque City.
While cruising along the service road beside Cavitex, a black sedan and a Mitsubishi Xpander (NKM 2122) blocked their path, and the occupants opened fire on the BJMP vehicle.
Talanquines was hit in a shootout that occurred around 12:20 p.m.
The assailants fled toward the Wetland Park area but were quickly apprehended in a hot pursuit operation by the Parañaque PNP SWAT, led by Capt. Dennis Velasco.
Arrested at the scene were James Bales Lasam, 28; Jerome Pascua Salvador, 31; Jerry Calino Ecalde, 30; and John Paul Chua, 51—all Filipino nationals.
Also taken into custody were Yang Yang Shin, 25, and Wang Hongjie, 25, both Chinese nationals.
Recovered from the suspects were a replica grenade, several U.S. dollar bills, a .357 Magnum revolver containing live ammunition and one fired cartridge case, as well as suspected illegal drugs and drug-related paraphernalia.
