A policeman died when he used his body as a shield to protect students and other civilians from a grenade explosion inside a school in Misamis Oriental on Thursday.
Police Brig. Gen. Rolando Anduyan, director of the Northern Mindanao regional police, said Police Master Sergeant Jason Magno virtually absorbed the impact of the grenade blast, an act that saved the lives of students and teachers present in the area.
“He attempted to shield other would-be victims using his own body when he saw that the grenade was hurled,” said Anduyan.
The blast inflicted minor injuries to 10 students of Initao College. Five of the students were identified as Jasper Abcede, Lino Jalagat, Allan Bahian, Ray Sanny Galarroza, and a certain “Poblete.”
Two teachers identified as Nestor Oblimar and Ann Panoril were also injured along with Magno’s fellow law enforcer, Police Master Sgt. Alice Balido.
On Thursday morning, 65-year old suspect Ebrahim Ampaso Basher went to the local office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to negotiate for the release of his vehicle.
The DENR office, according to Police Capt. Princess Enriquez Velarde, is located inside the Initao College in Barangay Jampason, Initao.
“His vehicle was intercepted by policemen in Initao for transporting illegally-cut logs,” Velarde said in a phone interview.
The vehicle and the illegally-cut logs were turned over to the DENR.
When the local DENR refused to have the vehicle released due to the pending case, Basher reportedly got mad.
“He first showed the grenade inside the DENR office. This caused panic among the employees who all ran out of their office,” said Velarde.
Magno, 46, was among those tasked to respond on the report that a man was seen walking around the Initao College holding a grenade.
The cops tried to negotiate with Basher when they arrived at the covered court of the school but the latter reportedly refused to turn over the grenade.
This resulted in a commotion when one of the policemen tried to grab the grenade from Basher.
But Basher was able to hurl the grenade, a moment which was seen by Magno. He then tried to shield other people in the area before the blast. (Aaron Recuenco)
