By Nanette Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY – The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) and this highly urbanized city are mourning the death of a police officer who was shot by a suspect in a drug buy-bust at Barangay Singcang-Airport here Thursday night.
The fatality, M/Sgt. Romulo Galvez Jr., 43, is a member of the Police Station 9 Drug Enforcement Team of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO). He has served in the Philippine National Police for 18 years.
“This is a sad day, and with heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of PMSg Galvez who gave his life in the line of duty,” PRO-NIR Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay said in a statement.
Ibay condemned the senseless act of violence as he directed the concerned units to ensure swift assistance and accountability.
“Immediate support must be provided to the bereaved family,” he added.
Armed with a caliber .45 pistol, the 32-year-old suspect shot Galvez in the right thigh during the late night operation along Alijis Road just outside of a motel.
Fellow operatives brought Galvez to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, where he passed away at 12:08 a.m. Friday.
“His courage, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serve and protect will forever remain in our hearts,” the PRO-NIR said in an obituary posted on Facebook.
In a separate statement, Mayor Greg Gasataya said Galvez “died a hero in the line of duty, making the ultimate sacrifice in our city’s ongoing pursuit of peace, justice, and the eradication of the illegal drug trade”.
“An attack on our police force is a direct attack on the safety, security, and peace of every Bacolodnon, and it is a challenge we will not leave unanswered,” he added.
The mayor said he met with BCPO Director Col. Eugene Rebadomia, whom he directed to ensure that the perpetrator is “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.
“MSg Galvez exemplified the highest standard of duty and is a true hero of Bacolod City. We honor his sacrifice by ensuring that the justice he so bravely defended is delivered absolutely and without compromise,” Gasataya said.
During the operation, the Police Station 9 operatives seized from the suspect PHP48,000 worth of marijuana in sachets and a caliber .45 pistol loaded with five live ammunition.
The suspect will be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, murder, and illegal possession of firearms. (PNA)
