THE police chief and nine personnel of Escalante City Police Station in Negros Occidental were awarded the Philippine National Police (PNP) Medal of Merit (Medalya ng Kagalingan) Monday.
The awarding rites led by Chief Superintendent Cesar Binag, regional director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas, was held at PRO headquarters in Iloilo City.
Given medals were Chief Inspector Rollie Pondevilla, city police chief, and his deputy Senior Inspector Larry Teovisio.
The eight other awardees were Senior Police Officer (SPO) 2 Jocelyn Regedor; SPO 1 Russel Joseph Canoy; Police Officers (PO) 3 John Candelario, Dennis Serrano, and Benny Sernal; PO 2 Ralph Francis Ponteras, and Rey Goc-ong; and PO 1 Elizabeth Pescante.
The award came after the arrest of Jojit Miñoza, who sexually abused and killed a 21-year-old woman, in a sugarcane plantation in the city last month.
On January 18, Miñoza was collared in a hot pursuit operation in Barangay Himogaan, Sagay City.
The suspect died after he resisted arrest and fought back at the police operatives.
Pondevilla said the incident was an act of defense on the part of the police as there was already an indication of danger.
