PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Benjie Acorda on Monday told me he had ordered the operation in Sta. Margarita, Samar last January 30 which erupted in a gunbattle that left three policemen dead and four others wounded.

The top cop said he has instructed PNP Director for Logistics Major Gen. Mario Reyes in particular to conduct a study on their bullet-proof vests. “”We are going to review this operation in terms of why it resulted to the death of our personnel. It is also something that has to be studied too by our Director for Logistics,” he said.

According to Gen. Acorda, he observed that the bullet-proof vests used by the slain and wounded policemen really protected the officers’ vital organs but still were unable to shield the other delicate parts of their bodies.

“Pag nakita mo yung vests, yung vital organs protected, pero yung tama ng baril is still outside the vests, we can see na medyo maliit (yung vests). Also the operational procedures, we will look into it. If there’s something we should improve to avoid casualties, especially the equipage and maintenance of equipment,” Gen. Acorda told me.

At the same time, he also questioned the appearance of the ammo casings used by the Samar policemen which were presented to him during his visit last week. “Nakita ko mga capsules madumi, maaaring ang mga bala hindi nalinisan o baka me mga ammos na underloaded or overloaded,” he said.

In reality, the three slain Samar policemen were not only the first cops to be killed in action while wearing bullet-proof vests. I have been privy to a number of police operations where officers were killed while wearing body armors. The reason, bullets fired by criminals hit the side of the victims’ bodies which were not covered by their bullet-proof vests.

A bulletproof vest, also commonly known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest is an item of body armour that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration of bullets and even shrapnel from explosions to the torso of an individual wearing them.

However, it is really inaccurate to say that the bullet-proof vest will protect a cop or anybody wearing it against all threats since heavy bullets , mostly from high-powered rifles will always deal enough force to damage the chest of an individual. A lucky shot from an ordinary handgun can also simply hit the side of the body which is not covered by the vest and kill the target.

Although there have been many cases that bullet-proof vests and helmets have saved the lives of our officers and men in the past, there is really a need to re-study the quality of the body protection and equipment we are giving to our men on the ground.

Gen. Acorda’s observation on the dirty ammunition or the possibility they could be underloaded or overloaded must also be thoroughly studied and trigger constant reminders for all our officers involved in anti-criminality and combat operations to ensure that they will properly take care and regularly clean their weapons and ammunition.

Lastly, there should be a thorough review of that tragic operation. Were the slain and wounded policemen dispatched to the scene without really knowing their targets are armed and dangerous? Were they like sitting ducks that time? Did they receive accurate intelligence? These are some of the questions which needs to be answered by their superiors.

However, it’s good to hear from Gen. Acorda that all four policemen wounded during the encounter with heavily-armed members of the Ampoan Criminal Group in Barangay Mahayag, Sta. Margarita, Samar last week are already in stable condition.

The four — Corporals Rannel Pedamato and Mark Jason Sixta and Patrolmen Ham Kritnere Capalis and Mark Redoblado — were pinned the PNP Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting or PNP Wounded Personnel Medal by Gen. Acorda.

The PNP chief also extended his heartfelt condolences to the grieving families of Staff Sergeant Christian Tallo, Master Sgt. Paul Terence Paclibar and Cpl. Eliazar Estrelles Jr. whom he said tragically lost their lives during the same operation.

The three received the posthumous Medalya ng Kadakilaan or PNP Heroism Medal from Gen. Acorda and their families got the financial assistance they badly need. My family and I offer our deepest prayers for the soul of these three hero-policemen.

“Undoubtedly, the tireless efforts of our personnel on the ground not only emphasize the PNP’s commitment to relentlessly pursue and apprehend criminal elements but also highlight our significant achievements in this endeavor,” said Gen. Acorda.

The scene of the firefight is a mountainous area located some 20 kilometers away from the municipal proper. A report from the Police Regional Office 8 headed by Brigadier Gen. Reynaldo Pawid said that the policemen launched the Operation ‘Light Beam’ to arrest Ampoan who is also known as ‘Jimboy/Kier’ and his co-accused identified as Jojo Altarejos alias ‘Bordado’ and Rogelio Macurol on the strength of warrants for murder and frustrated murder issued by Judge Cicero Lampaza of the Calbayog City Regional Trial Court Branch 32 on May 17, 2022.

Prior to that, the local police got a tip that the suspects were sighted in the vicinity of Bgy. Mahayag which can be reached after a 3-hour hike from its adjacent Bgy. Cinco. The company commander of the 1st Samar PMFC, Lieutenant Colonel Seth Mark Alob, said the operating troops were divided into small groups, each with a corresponding target and jumped off around 11 p.m. Monday and reached their target area by foot around 5 a.m. the following day.

While approaching their targets, the lawmen were met with gunfire from the suspects prompting them to retaliate with caution to avoid hitting civilians in the area. The firefight lasted for at least 20 minutes and left the three policemen dead and four others wounded.

There were also no reported casualties on the part of the heavily-armed suspects.

Nearly three hours after the gunfight broke out, police and military reinforcement were airlifted to the site by an Air Force Blackhawk helicopter. A SOCO team from the Calbayog City Satellite Forensic Office also went to the site to collect pieces of evidence.

A hot pursuit operation led in the arrest of seven suspects identified as Gigi Roxas,23; Fernando Carausos,56; Florencio Calagos,62; Bryan Jalayajay,64; Romualdo Catalan,64; Fernando Caber,48; and Benjamin Equiran,50. All suspects are residents of Bgy. Mahayag.

A record check showed that Calagos has two standing warrants of arrest for murder.

Recovered from the suspects were one AR 15 rifle, one M-16 Baby Armalite, a caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol and several magazines with live ammunition. I just hope and pray that the seven were really involved in the gunfight.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon