Scholarships, cash aid for slain cops’ families

PO1 Romeo Cempron’s widow Dr. Christine Abaya-Cempron (back to camera) is embraced by a relative while Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III (second from right), Senior Supt. Conrado Capa, Cebu City police chief (left) and Supt. Noel Gillamac (right), Cebu provincial police chief look on following the arrival of Cempron’s remains at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
(CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)

Scholarship grants will be given to the children whose fathers were among the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos that died in action at Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province last January 25.

Chief Supt. Prudencio Tom Bañas, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, said one of the officials of Southwestern University agreed to provide a scholarship grant to the children that would cover their schooling from elementary school to college.

“We have an existing MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) with Southwestern University signed a month ago in which the school will sponsor the education of a child of any policeman  who dies in the line of duty,” Bañas said.

The scholarship grant came amid a resolution approved by the Provincial Board (PB) that would grant P50,000 financial assistance each to the families of P02 Windel Candano and PO1 Romeo Cempron.

Candano is a native of barangay Lawaan, Dumanjug town in southern Cebu while Cempron is from Consolacion town, Cebu after marrying Dr. Christine Abaya.

Extend
The Cempron couple had recently married and had no children while Candano’s seven-year-old son Sian Gabriel and one of the three daughters of PO3 Junrel Kibete who lives in Argao town, southern Cebu will each receive a scholarship.

One of Kibete’s children, Princess Urielle, received a cash gift from Chief Supt. Augusto Marquez Jr., deputy director for the PNP Directorate for Investigation based in Camp Crame, for her 11th birthday.

This was contrary to yesterday’s report that came out in page 3 (Slain cop gifts daughter days before last mission) that Kibete gave her cash to buy a watch days before he was sent to Mamasapano town.

Bañas said the agreement covered only policemen assigned in Cebu City but the SWU management agreed to extend the agreement in Central Visayas to cover the SAF police commandos.

Kibete has three children with his former partner who lives in Argao town.

“The SAF troopers had just been recruited recently so their loved ones can only receive a small pension,” said Supt. Renato Dugan, PRO-7 information officer.

Dugan said the families of the three slain police officers may not receive “commutation leave” credits in which the amount of compensation is computed based on their basic pay plus number of leave credits they accumulated for their service.

He said the incentive is usually availed of by police officers who rendered service for 20 years.

But PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo said the 44 police commandos  will each receive P950,000 in benefits depending on their rank and length of service.

Cerbo also said their families will also receive more based on a decision by the PNP hierarchy to issue posthumous promotions to each of the slain SAF commandos.

Expenses
At the PB, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said the P50,000 cash aid will be extended by the governor’s office.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia said the municipal council already approved a resolution to extend P20,000 financial assistance to Candano’s family.

He said they are planning to propose another resolution to extend additional financial assistance to Candano’s family and to cover the educational expenses of Candano’s son.

Magpale and PB Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero visited Cempron’s wake at St. Peter’s Memorial Chapel in Mandaue City.

A 4 p.m Mass was held at the Basilica del Sto. Niño for the two slain police officers.

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