PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte extended financial assistance amounting to P100,000, on top of other government benefits, to Police Officer 1 Robert John Arzaga who was injured in a shootout in Barangay Alegria in Murcia, Negros Occidental, on September 30.
Two armed men died during the incident that involved responding personnel of Negros Occidental Provincial Public Safety Company (NOPPSC).
The President visited Arzaga (not Arciaga as earlier reported) at the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City for about 30 minutes Sunday night after he came from the opening rites of the 37th Masskara Festival at the Bacolod public plaza.
Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, director of Police Regional Office- Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), told VoxPop Bacolod that Duterte also gave Arzaga cash with an undetermined amount aside from the P100,000.
Duterte also offered to pay for the hospital expenses of Arzaga, who will undergo another operation on Monday, he added.
Gumban said the PRO-NIR gave Arzaga P15,000, and the Philippine National Police will also release P60,000 to the wounded police officer.
Arzaga will receive a brand new .44 caliber magnum. He will also be enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and will also receive rice subsidy.
Gumban said Arzaga will also be awarded the PNP Wounded Personnel Medal.
Last Friday, personnel of NOPPSC, in coordination with Murcia Municipal Police Station, were deployed to serve a search warrant to Harold Valenciano. His two workers fired at the policemen.
The seven-minute encounter led to the death of Valenciano's workers Angelic Tayos, 21, of Zamboanga Sibugay and a certain “Toto” of Salvador Benedicto town while two others escaped.
Police recovered from Valenciano’s house a .45 caliber and magazine, 17 live ammunition of .45 caliber, a magazine of M16 rifle, 29 ammunition of armalite rifle, a holster of .45 caliber, six cartridges of 9mm, a homemade shotgun, a .9mm caliber revolver, improvised 12 gauge shotgun, and a .22 caliber revolver.
Valenciano and his group were reported for their alleged involvement in the shooting incidents and threats in the area.
Gumban said Duterte has assured Arzaga and the rest of the police force that he will stand by them no matter what for as long as they are doing their duties properly.
After the hospital visit, Duterte had dinner with the Yanson family at Pacific Shores in Talisay City and then flew back to Manila.
