By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) paid a visit to the families of police officers involved in an encounter in Negros Occidental’s Calatrava town.
PRO-6 director, Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor visited Police Corporal Dennis Nacis, who is now recovering at a hospital in Bacolod City on Saturday, August 12.
Nacis underwent surgery after sustaining gunshot wounds in the abdomen and shoulder during the encounter.
He received cash assistance of P50,000, and he also received the “Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting” award.
Villaflor then proceeded to Cadiz City, to the residence of Police Corporal Jayme Nuñez, who was killed during the gun battle.
The slain cop’s next of kin received cash assistance of P100,000.
The PRO-6 assured the family to inform them if the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office begins the processing of additional assistance.
Last Wednesday, August 9, several personnel of the Calatrava Municipal Police Station were deployed to the town’s Sitio Upper Ikugan in Barangay Minapasuk to respond to a murder incident.
They were set to serve the warrant of arrest against two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who were spotted in the area prior to the battle.
Aside from Nacis, two other cops — Police Captain Jesus Alba and Police Corporal Frank Caballero —were also wounded.
Alba sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and has been discharged from the hospital, while Caballero got graze wounds on his back.
However, Caballero will undergo an x-ray examination to determine if his wounds were only graze or if he had shrapnel on his back.
The NPA members reportedly allegedly detonated an improvised explosive device during the encounter.
The Calatrava local government unit said they will handle the assistance for the two murdered civilians, identified as Felix Resotay and Eliseo Mahilum.
Earlier, the NPA had already claimed responsibility over the encounter, and the execution of the two civilians, whom they had accused of being traitors./DGB, WDJ
