HER bravery was amply rewarded.
PO2 Lea Juarez yesterday received a cash reward of P50,000 from Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, which she intends to use as down payment for a multicab.
Juarez said she needs a vehicle for her sideline business where she sells chorizo, bags and slippers among others.
“The multicab would be a big help to my business. I don’t need to hire a taxi for my goods anymore,” she said in Cebuano.
Osmeña promised to help her find a multicab at a discounted price.
Juarez’s bravery draw attention after she chased and shot dead a motorcycle-riding man who grabbed the iPhone and wallet of a female pedestrian at Cebu Business Park last week.
Osmeña who was in the U. S. then for his medical checkup heard about her action from friends. When he returned to Cebu last Sunday, Osmeña invited the policewoman to his Guadalupe residence to receive the cash reward.
He said he and some friends chipped in for the amount because they admired the policewoman’s bravery.
“You deserve it,” Osmeña told her.
“I appreciate that we have dedicated people like her,” said Osmeña told reporters.
Juarez said it was the second cash reward she received from people who appreciated what she did. Earlier, she received P10,000 cash from a Tagalog-speaking donor whom she did not even meet. The cash was sent to her through the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
“I didn’t expect to receive this. I can’t believe the blessings I received,” said Juarez, who is a single mother of a 9-year-old girl./chief of reporters doris bongcac