Slain rookie cop cited

They’re not all bad.

A 26-year-old rookie policeman killed in the line of duty was given a hero’s sendoff by no less than Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim Sunday.

Police Officer 1 Remuel de la Cruz, assigned at the Manila Police District Station 11 in Meisic, was laid to rest at Manila North Cemetery after a necrological service and a procession from the MPD Headquarters on United Nations Avenue.

De la Cruz was shot dead by a snatcher he was pursuing at the Tutuban Center Mall on February 25. His efforts were not in vain—his responding colleagues eventually caught the robber who was also shot dead as he tried to resist arrest.

At the service, Lim praised De la Cruz and said he should be a role model for other policemen, noting that of late, other rookie policemen have been involved in crimes or punished for their unprofessional behavior.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Alejandro Gutierrez lamented De la Cruz’s loss, saying it was a blow to the organization as he noted that his heroic act was a redemption of the image of the police force which had been sullied by corrupt policemen.

De la Cruz accomplished “a job well done,” and thus, “his memory will live on,” Gutierrez said.

Lim donated P100,000 to De la Cruz’s family and shouldered the expenses for the burial. The mayor also promised to help his wife find work.