corporate social responsibility

On the spot, Aquino promotes unarmed hero cops

Natashya Gutierrez

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PO2 Edlyn Arbo and PO2 Felipe Moncatar receive a pleasant surprise when the President orders their promotion for catching criminals even without firearms

REWARDING POLICE. President Benigno Aquino III promoted two policemen on the spot. Malacañang photo

MANILA, Philippines – Two police officers can expect a higher position, after none other than President Benigno Aquino III called for their promotion in public.

Aquino praised PO2 Edlyn Arbo and PO2 Felipe Moncatar during the ceremonial distribution of firearms to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday, July 2. He celebrated the two for taking on criminals even without service firearms. 

The President asked Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP Chief Alan Purisima to promote them.

Aquino was at Camp Crame to distribute 22,603 Glock 17 pistols, the first two tranches of the total 74,879 purchased by the government for the PNP. 

The distribution is part of the administration’s efforts to achieve a 1:1 ratio for police to pistol for the 148,000-strong police force.

At the moment, only about half of the force have firearms.

“PO2 Edlyn Arbo is proof: she fearlessly faced and attacked a holdupper in a jeep. She didn’t mind her lack of a gun, or the wound she sustained from the encounter. Bravery, accountability, and her experience as a police were the weapons she used to catch the holdupper,” the President cited the policewoman.

Aquino also recognized Moncatar for the many criminals he had managed to catch.

“Some of them were even part of the ‘Most Wanted Persons’ list of Bacolod City. Other were members of huge syndicate groups guilty of abuse, murder, robbery, and carnapping. And he achieved all these successful operations, again, without carrying any arms,” Aquino said.

He saluted both Arbo and Moncatar for their courage, and for serving regardless of the situation, and then asked for their promotion in front of hundreds of their peers.

“Mar and Alan, I don’t think I noticed in your report that the two were promoted,” the President said, addressing Roxas and Purisima. “I think they who have shown such impressive ability are the true definition of meritorious promotion. See to it that these two are promoted.” – Rappler.com

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Natashya Gutierrez

Natashya is President of Rappler. Among the pioneers of Rappler, she is an award-winning multimedia journalist and was also former editor-in-chief of Vice News Asia-Pacific. Gutierrez was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2023.