PO3 marries SPO1: A story of love and public service

The couple – PO3 Dave Lauglaug and PO1 Mae Balobo – is one of the 16 couples who got married in a mass wedding sponsored by the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. With them is  Kobe, the couple’s  5-year-old son. | CDND Photo/Tonee Despojo

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Raising a family could be a challenge for one in the police service. Much more, if both of you are police officers.

Enforcing the law in the community and in their household is the daily endeavor for this couple, PO3 Dave Lauglaug and SPO1 Mae Balobo.

Lauglaug and Balobo met in 2005, when both were rookies in the Philippine National Police (PNP). It didn’t take long for them to fall in love, got in a relationship and raised their family as they also grow in the police service.

“The story on how we started is funny,” Balobo, 38, said as she began to tell her love story with huband, 39-year-old Lauglaug.

“I was conducting a beat patrol outside E-mall [in 2005] when he passed by. My former batchmate in the training was then his buddy so he asked if we could be introduced to each other. We both had the rank of PO1 then,” Balobo recalled.

In 2008, Balobo and Lauglaug decided to live together and start a family. They were wed in a civil ceremony in May 2011 and were blessed with three girls and one boy aged 10, 7, 5 and 3 years old.

Despite being tough cops, the couple said they maintain a “civilian” atmosphere at home and take turns in fulfilling their responsibilities to their children.

“It is a challenge especially to make time for the family because we are both in the service. We always consider the call of duty and we usually go home late,” said Balobo.

Lauglaug is assigned at the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) while Balobo is with the PRO-7’s Public Information Office.

“Ang among pagka-police, sa trabaho lang gyud na. Sa balay we are both civilians and parents to our children,” said Balobo.

While their ranks are not a matter of consideration at home, Balobo, being the mother, admitted that she had the stronger voice at home.

“Sobra man na siya kabuotan maong dili kaayo mahadlok ang among mga anak niya. That’s why ako ang mas mag-voice out sa ilaha,” said the policewoman.

Despite being legally married and having raised a family, Balobo and her husband still  dreamed of  getting married in church, as they wished their union to be have  God’s blessing.

This wish finally came true on Monday, February 11.

Lauglaug and Balobo were among the 16 couples who exchanged their “I dos” during the mass church wedding sponsored by the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, regional director of PRO-7, earlier said strengthening the family of the policemen is also a way of keeping them away from the temptation of illegal activities.

“At the end of the day, it is important nga kaming mga pulis dunay pamilya nga balikan tapos maulaw mi magbuhat og dautan kay maulaw mi para sa among pamilya ug mga anak,” Sinas said after the wedding.

“We, as policemen, should have a family to hold on and a supreme being to believe in,” he added./