Senate honors cop who shielded students, teachers from grenade blast

Colleagues carry the casket of Senior Master Sgt. Jason Magno out the St. Francis Xavier Parish Church in Barangay Poblacion, Initao, Misamis Oriental. The heroic cop buried Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. (Photo by Divina M. Suson / Inquirer Mindanao)

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday honored Police Senior Master Sergeant Jason Janog Magno who died after he covered a lobbed grenade with his body to protect teachers and students at the Initao College in Misamis Oriental.

The Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 229 which took into consideration Senate Resolutions 231, 237 and 253 introduced by Senators Panfilo Lacson, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Ramon Bong Revilla and Sonny Angara respectively.

Magno, a police explosive ordnance disposal specialist, was among the first respondents to a call regarding a man wielding a bladed weapon and grenade in the college.

The police officer and Police Master Sergeant Alice Balido attempted to subdue the weapon-carrying man named Ibrahim Ampaso Basher, but the suspect threw the grenade to the police officers after pulling out its pin.

This prompted Magno to “embrace” the grenade with his body, killing him instantly—a move the Senate says saved the lives of people around him.

Sixteen people, including the suspect, sustained injuries in the explosion.

“The selfless act of Police Master Sergeant Jason Magno should be emulated and recognized not only by the Philippine National Police (PNP) but by the entire country,” Lacson, a former head of the PNP, said.

“The Senate honors and commend the late Police Senior Master Sergeant Jason Janog Magno for his extraordinary bravery, heroism and instinct to protect and save the lives of his fellow men at the cost of his own going beyond his sworn duty to serve and to protect,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier posthumously conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu Magalong and the PNP Medal of Valor or Medalya ng Kagitingan to Magno.

Edited by JE