A member of the Initao Municipal Police Station hands over a rose to a single employee of the local government. (Photo from the station’s Facebook account)
INITAO, Misamis Oriental, Philippines — In this town, the singles were not lonely on Valentine’s Day, thanks to thoughtful cops.
Police officers serenaded on Friday the single employees of the local government, including mothers who are solo parents.
The cops seemingly did good intelligence work way ahead as their targets were quite precise.
After locating the woman, cops crooned “Valentine,” a song popularized by Jim Brickman and Martina Bride.
Another police officer then threw “hugot” lines and offered a bouquet of flowers.
Maj. Dino Magno, Initao police chief, said his office came up with the idea of honoring single mothers to lighten up their Valentine’s Day.
“Many of them did not have partners who will give them flowers or chocolates. At least they did not go home empty-handed,” Magno said.
Jessie Acut, a staff member at the municipal mayor’s office, said she was delighted to be serenaded and to receive flowers.
“This is my first time in three years that I received flowers on Valentine’s Day,” said Acut, a mother of five who had been separated from her husband for 17 years.
Amee Bagares, officer-in-charge of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, a single mother for 14 years, was all smiles as she received flowers from a police officer.
The high point of the police officers’ Valentine’s Day tribute was the surprise on Vivian Magno, widow of hero cop Senior Master Sgt. Jason Magno who died last November protecting students of Initao Community College from a grenade blast.
Jason, the younger brother of Dino, was awarded the Medal of Valor by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Vivian celebrated her 41st birthday on Friday for the first time without Jason.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, Jason would have celebrated his 47th birthday.
/atm