SENIOR Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Roderick Balili, whom the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said died because of an accidental firing during an operation in Pinamungajan town, will receive police honors and full benefits as a police officer.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, PRO-7 director, said that it would be proper to give honors to Balili since he had no derogatory records in his stint as a police officer.
Based on the information from PRO-7, Balili received two awards – Medalya ng Kasanayan and Medalya ng Kagitingan in his 14 years in the service.
The PRO-7 maintained that Balili died because of an accidental firing while conducting a surveillance to a high value target and not because of reports that he was involved in a shootout with a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agent in Carcar City.
Sinas said that since he died doing his duty as a police officer then he would be given the benefits he deserved.
“We will give (his family) the full benefits,” said Sinas.
Meanwhile, the father of SPO1 Balili, Hilario Balili, 63, said that they still had not decided where to bury his son because they were still waiting for police officer’s brother, who is working abroad.
SPO1 Balili’s wake is at the St. Peter Chapel in Imus Road, Barangay Lorega, where his fellow officers and relatives could pay their respect to the slain police officer.
Yesterday, a brother of the slain police officer, a member of the Philippine Air Force also arrived.
Hilario said that they were waiting for a younger brother from abroad, who was expected to arrive today (August 13). / with a report from Correspondent Benjie B. Talisic