PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. yesterday told all police commanders to put in place measures that would ensure the safety of their men while on duty and on training.

He issued the instruction as he visited the Police Regional Office 10 headquarters in Cagayan de Oro City which is mourning the untimely death of seven of its men in a vehicular accident in Misamis Oriental.

Apart from the seven cops, one retired police officer and a civilian were also killed while 28 policemen were injured as a result of the accident.

Gen. Azurin was joined by Major Gen. Jon A. Arnaldo, the PNP Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development and National Police Training Institute director, Maj. Gen. Medardo A. Posadas in meeting the PRO10 officials led by Brigadier Gen. Lawrence B. Coop.

Discussed during the meeting were existing policies and procedures that govern the safety of policemen while on training or on duty.

Gen. Azurin emphasized the importance of reviewing and updating these protocols to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.

“We must ensure that our police officers are safe while they perform their duties. This means that we must identify the potential risks and hazards that they might face and implement measures to minimize them. We need to have comprehensive protocols and guidelines in place to protect our personnel,” the PNP chief said.

The top cop said that safety and well-being of their personnel are of utmost importance and thus, all necessary measures must be taken to prevent accidents like that in Misamis Oriental from happening again.

“We will work closely with our personnel to identify the causes of the accident and implement appropriate preventive measures,” he said.

Gen. Azurin, along with PNP Director for Comptrollership, Maj. Gen. Jesus D. Cambay Jr. and PNP Retirement and Benefits Administration Services director, Brig. Gen. Niño David L. Rabaya expressed their condolences to the families of the seven policemen-fatalities as they handed over financial assistance to them.

“I understand that no amount of financial assistance can fully ease the pain of losing a loved one, but I hope that this small gesture from the PNP will help ease the burden on the bereaved families during this difficult time,” the PNP chief said.

He also visited the policemen who were injured and are currently recuperating at the hospital and wished them a speedy recovery.

The incident took place along a highway in Purok 11, Barangay Maputi in Naawan, Misamis Oriental last Saturday.

The Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office reported that the accident took place around 9:25 a.m. last Saturday and involved a Wing Van Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter and two white Nissan Urvan vehicles.

Accordingly, the Mitsubishi Fuso was moving towards Cagayan de Oro City while the two Nissan Urvan vehicles were moving towards Iligan City in the opposite direction.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation but initially, some of the survivors claimed that the front right wheel of the Wing Van Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter exploded.

After the driver lost control of the vehicle, he collided with the two other vans who were loaded with students of the Senior and Junior Leadership Courses being held at the Regional Training Center 10 in Cagayan de Oro City.

The policemen were traveling on a privilege pass.