Two police officers who chased down cellphone snatchers near the Provincial Capitol last June 7 were conferred the “Medalya ng Kagalingan” yesterday.
“Exemplary” was how Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, director of the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) described the performance of PO2 Leah Juarez and PO2 Percival Perigo who responded to an ongoing street robbery.
Juarez shot dead robbery suspect Liel Alex Cabornay after he drew a .45 caliber pistol during a brief chase in barangay Capitol Site.
Juarez and Perigo were on board a motorcycle and happened to be passing by when Cabornay grabbed the iPhone and wallet of a female pedestrian in the sidewalk of Cebu Business Park.
Cabornay was with his cousin Richard Baculi who drove the motorbike.
Baculi who was arrested is facing robbery charges.
Juarez is assigned to the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) while Perigo is a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
“This is recognition of their exemplary performance to neutralize robbery suspects. They responded well in the foregoing circumstances.” Garbo told reporters.
It was Perigo’s second award.
A donor who asked to remain unnamed gave Juarez a P10,000 cash reward.
Juarez’s award was her seventh in four years of service. She was awarded last April 23 for her role in the June 2011 raid of the Cordova cybersex ring operated by parents who used their children as online performers.
Juarez dedicated her award to her 9-year-old daughter and father. As a single mother, she said her child was her inspiration.
Juarez said she was aiming to shoot the fleeing robber below the waist but he was shot in stomach and later died in the hospital. It was her first time to shoot a perpetrator in the line of duty. Rhea Ruth V. Rosell, Reporter