ILOILO City – Who would have thought the 30th founding anniversary of the Philippine National Police in Camp Martin Delgado here could be a venue for hopeful hearts?
The 29-year-old Police Captain Paul Vincent Pendon was that man of the show.
He bagged not only a “Medalya ng Kagalingan” for his service but also the “yes” of Hazel Joy Gamon Grate, his girlfriend of nine years.
Pendon, chief of the drug enforcement unit of the Bacolod City Police Office, said the proposal at the awarding ceremony on Feb. 1 was not really in his plan.
“Hambal ko, idungan ko (proposal) sa birthday sang friend ko nga dungan man sang amon anniversary. Amo to nga adlaw galing dungan gid sang awarding ceremony,” Pendon said.
“Indi ako tani mag-attend sang awarding kay hambal ko, espesyal ang adlaw nga na kay ma-propose ako galing gin hambalan man ako sang mga upod ko nga kun ma-propose ko, ti sa ceremony na lang e. Kay dapat unforgettable,” he narrated.
“Amo na to dayon ginpakadto ko siya (Hazel). Ang iya pagkabalo, mapa-picture lang kami samtang ginabaton ko ang award,” Pendon said.
The police officer added that he felt excited and nervous while he was on bended knee.
“Palangga niya gid pamilya ko. Kag palangga man siya sang akon pamilya. We’re planning to settle down maybe by the end of 2021 ukon sa 2022,” he said.
Pendon shared to Panay News their love story. It started during their college days at the West Visayas State University in La Paz district here.
The exchanges of text messages, he said, bloomed to a more meaningful relationship.
Now with his fiancée, Pendon hopes to “nurture their love more while serving his countrymen.”/PN
