Cops’ R&R turns tragic: Buddy drowns in pool

A policeman who went for a swim with his buddies drowned in a private pool in Quezon City Friday afternoon.

It was too late when the other law enforcers noticed that PO2 Joseph Ilano was no longer moving in the clubhouse pool of St. Charbel Executive Village on Mindanao Avenue, Barangay Tandang Sora.

The 36-year-old Ilano, who reported to the Quezon City Police District’s human resource development division, may have suffered cramps while in the water, said investigator PO2 Julius Balbuena.

Footage from the clubhouse security camera showed Ilano flailing in the water then “waving one last time, apparently asking for help, before he went down,” Balbuena told reporters on Saturday.

His companions failed to notice this, he said.

The group went for a swim after serving as facilitators for a physical fitness training exam in the Northern Police District. Julie M. Aurelio

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