A posthumous award was handed over to the family of Cebu policeman Orvin Seth Felicio who was shot dead by a 16-year-old boy in Mandaue City.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police General Rommel Francisco Barbil, visited the wake of Police Staff Sergeant Felicio in Sacred Heart Chapel, Barangay Cogon Ramos, Cebu City to hand over to his family the “Medalya ng Kadakilaan.”
The PNP chief also provided assistance to Felicio’s family.
Gen. Barbil did not grant the members of the media an interview, but Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 7, said that the PNP chief extended his condolences to the family personally and handed over personal assistance.
"He also reminded unit commanders to make sure that we can institute security measures during operations whether you are on duty or off duty," Lt. Col. Pelare said.
Interment is set on Saturday, August 3, 2024.
To recall, the boy shot dead the policeman after he was told to go home based on the imposed curfew ordinance upon minors in Mandaue City.
SSgt. Felicio sustained a fatal wound on the head, the other on his right arm.
The incident happened at around midnight on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in P. Remedio Street, Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.
The policeman was assigned at the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), but he was off duty when the incident happened.
He was in the area to fetch his wife from work.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Mercy Villaro, MCPO spokesperson, said that based on the investigation, Felicio was on board his motorcycle when he noticed of barangay tanods (village watchmen) who were in the area to reprimand minors for violating the curfew ordinance.
When the watchmen went after the minor, he ran away.
Felicio went after him and introduced himself as a cop and told the boy to go home. However, the boy gave allegedly the policeman a cold stare and a contemptuous look.
The policeman was about to park his motorcycle to talk further to the boy when the latter pulled out a gun, shot him twice, and fled. But the suspect surrendered to the authorities in the morning. The caliber 38 used was not recovered, though. The suspect said he had thrown it away right after the incident.
"Hadlok siya, gatuo siya nga dakpon siya, naka-feel na siya og kahadlok, kay naa siya armas daan, tungod sa dala niya nga armas, naka-feel siya nga 'ahh, madakpan ko ani,' iya na lang giunhan," Villaro said.
"According sa atong investigator nga miyembro kini siya sa gang nga Crips and mao na nga naay information sa mga kaila niiini nga magdala-dala gyud ni og armas sa iyang paggawas during night time ug paglakaw uban sa iyang barkada," Villaro added.
In the afternoon of July 27, 2024, the suspect was turned over by the MCPO to the Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) facility of the Mandaue City Social Welfare Services.
Villaro said that MCPO is determined to pursue a case for murder against the suspect.
Felicio, a resident of Consolacion town, north Cebu Province joined the Philippine National Police in 2008 and served at the Intelligence Unit of the MCPO since then.