Four policemen died while 28 others were injured after the six-wheeler patrol truck they were riding fell off a cliff in the town of Alimodian, Iloilo province on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 29.
The casualties were identified as Patrolman Prince Angelo Supiter, Patrolman Rex Agupitan, Patrolman Antonio Tumanday, and Police Corporal Emerson Peñarubia.
The injured were brought to the Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian but were later transferred to the Iloilo Mission Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, and Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City.
The victims were members of the 601st Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMBF-6).
Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, Police Regional Office (PRO-6) spokesperson, said the patrol truck carrying the 35 policemen was heading to its headquarters after a minor combat operation when the accident happened in Barangay Ginomoy at around 1 p.m.
Driven by Police Patrolman Francis Prudente, the patrol truck encountered a mechanical problem, initial investigation showed.
Rescuers, including Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel, immediately responded and were able to take out the victims.
Malong said the rescuers had a yard time extracting the the policemen out of the ill-fated vehicle and bringing them up by the roadside.
Alimodian is about 36 kilometers northwest of Iloilo City.IMT
Photo by Brian Amasol-Blannces Ambong
Type a message…
