Death of cop during fun run prompts PRO-7 exec’s call: Prepare first before joining ‘marathons’

Runners participating during the marathon held in CCLEX last Sunday, February 5, 2023. | CDN Digital Photo by Brian Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — After a policeman collapsed and died during a fun run here in Cebu early Sunday morning, Feb. 5, participants of strenuous activities like marathons are encouraged to make sure first that they are prepared for this kind of event.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of Police Brigadier General Jerry Bearis, director of the PRO-7, said this after the untimely death of Patrolman Lee Rodrocks Carbonilla, 31, who was a member of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Central Visayas (RMFB-7).

“Though healthy kaayo ta, when we involve ourselves to strenuous activities such as marathon, siguro dapat, we should prepare for it. Check nato atoang lawas basin og di ta ready. Wa ta katug og tarong, so on and so forth,” Taneo said.

(Though we are healthy, when we involve ourselves to strenuous activities such as a marathon, perhaps, we should prepare for it. We should check our bodies because it might not be ready. We might not have a proper sleep and so on and so forth.)

Collapsed during fun run

Pelare said that the victim was running there when he suddenly collapsed. 

Carbonilla was brought to a nearby hospital but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

“Nakaresponde ang first aid. Gidala sa hospital, but he was declared (dead on arrival) by the attending physician. Namatay gyud sya. Ang cause sa death kay acute decompensated heart failure,” Pelare said.

(The first aid personnel responded. They brought him to the hospital, but he was declared (dead on arrival) by the attending physician. He died. The cause of death is acute decompensated heart failure.)

Police Major Jonathan Taneo, Mambaling Police Station chief, said that the tragic incident happened during the fun run at 4:35 a.m. on Sunday, Feb 5, 2023 as the policeman was traversing the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) together with other participants of the event.

Death benefits of policeman

Pelare also said that the region would also assist the family in processing the benefits that they would be getting from the service rendered of the victim.

Pelare said that the region’s medical unit had regular checkups for all the police personnel in the region.

They also have an inventory of all those personnel who logged having health concerns and these individuals are regularly monitored.

For his part, Police Colonel Ronan Claravall, chief of RMFB-7, said that Carbonilla used to join this kind of activity.

They did not receive information that he had health concerns prior to the incident.

“For info, athletic siya. Wala naman siyang nararamdaman daw. Scout ranger trainee [graduate] kasi yan,” Claravall said.

(For information, he is an athletic person. He told them that he was fine and he did not feel anything (bad in his body). He is a Scout Ranger trainee [graduate].)

Carbonilla had been in the service for five years.

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