Quezon City police honor junior cop slain by drug suspect

The Quezon City Police District on Saturday conferred posthumous honors on a junior officer who was killed last week while attempting to arrest a suspected drug peddler.

The family of the late PO1 Renato Tabago will also receive special assistance to speed up the release of their benefits claims following their loss, said QCPD director Senior Supt. Richard Albano.

“We will assign a survivor officer who will process their application,” said Albano, who went to Tabago’s home in Tondo, Manila, to lead other QCPD officials in giving recognition to the slain officer, an antinarcotics agent who reported to the Batasan station.

Tabago was shot in the forehead and stabbed in the head, neck, chest and back, by a suspected drug pusher known only as Junli, whom he and two other policemen tried to arrest at Freedom Park, Barangay Batasan Hills, on June 9.

He was then on a mission with PO3s Santelices Heide and Alain Sigua, along with an informant.

Encounter

According to a report of the encounter, Heide and Sigua kept their distance while Tabago and the tipster walked toward the suspect.

Tabago then grabbed Junli but the suspect, who turned out to be carrying a knife, fought back and stabbed him.

The suspect shot the fallen policeman with the latter’s .40-caliber pistol before fleeing with the gun.

The 31-year-old officer, who left behind a live-in partner, entered the police service in 2008.

The QCPD, his first and only mother unit, honored him with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Medalya ng Kagalingan (Medal of Merit).

Tabago’s burial is scheduled Sunday morning at Manila North Cemetery.  Julie Aurelio