Dagupan policeman wounded by pillbox explosion
Who says a policeman can only get wounded in a firefight with criminals?
PO3 Alfonso Villamil of the Dagupan police found this the hard way after losing three fingers on his right hand when a pillbox inside a suspect’s pocket exploded while frisking the latter at the city jail.
Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, city police chief, said what happened to Villamil is an eye opener to the rest of the policemen to exercise extra caution in frisking suspects.
The pillbox, about a size of a ping-pong ball, exploded when Villamil pressed it when he felt the bulge inside the back pocket of the suspect’s pants.
Villamil was doing a body search on suspect Albert Alvarez who was arrested for creating trouble in Barangay Calmay on March 14.
“This is an added lesson in our rules of engagement, particularly in arresting a suspect,” Borromeo said.
Meanwhile, Borromeo said he is recommending a medalya ng sugatang pulis (medal for a wounded police officer) for him whose promotion is already expected prior to the incident.
“I told him that he should not lose hope. He is very qualified to become a police officer . . . everything has a purpose and we can still appeal to the Philippine National Police for consideration,” Borromeo said.
Borromeo said Villamil, a graduate of Bachelor of Sciences in Physical Therapy and passed the board examination for Criminology, can still perform other police duties like being a spokesman for their anti-drugs program.
The suspect and a barangay tanod also sustained minor injuries from the explosion. #
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