NORZAGARAY, Bulacan — The family of PO3 Ronaldo Legaspi, the police intelligence chief who was killed in a buy-bust operation Sunday in Norzagaray town, was comforted by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte who made a surprise visit at the wake around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the President gave an undisclosed amount of cash assistance to the family of the slain policeman and posthumously awarded Legaspi the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kalasag.
The award is conferred to those who lost their lives as a direct result of their participation in an action pursuant to a campaign or advocacy of the President.
The Chief Executive was accompanied to the wake of the slain police officer’s residence in Barangay Matictic, Norzagaray town by Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
Corpus added that the Police Regional Office-3 (Central Luzon) initially gave a PHP100,000 cash assistance to the family of Legaspi.
The slain police officer was the intelligence chief of the Norzagaray Police Station and was slain when a drug sting was made against Rolando Padura alias Jay Ar, a notorious drug pusher and car theft.
Padura sensed that he was being entrapped and fired his gun thus triggering a firefight which resulted to his death and Legaspi.
Supt. Gerardo Andaya, who was the police chief of Norzagaray town at the time of the buy-bust operation that resulted in the death of Legaspi, confirmed that he was relieved from his post after the incident. He was replaced by Supt. Andrei Anthony Manglo.
Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Bulacan police director, said that nine more drug suspects were arrested in Bulacan on Tuesday and early morning Wednesday.
He identified them as Edwin Enriquez, 34, and Anthony Enriquez, 36, both from Plaridel town; Josephine Pineda, 39, resident of Lolomboy Bocaue; Joel Villarin, 44, of Barangay Siling Bata, Pandi; Jose Albert Capalad, resident of Ugong, Valenzuela City; Marisol Navarro, 41, resident of Barangay Sta. Cruz V, City of San Jose Del Monte; Rey Aquino, 43, resident of Barangay San Martin IV, City of San Jose Del Monte; Wilfredo C. Bugayong, 26 , of Barangay Malis, Guiguinto; and a 15-year-old suspect.
The suspects were arrested in buy-bust operations conducted in the City of San Jose del Monte and the towns of Plaridel, Bocaue, and Balagtas wherein a total of 35 plastic sachets of suspected shabu were confiscated. (Manny Balbin/PNA)
