Duterte gives posthumous awards to PDEA agents killed in ambush

President Rodrigo Duterte with PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Bong Go visit the wake for the PDEA agents killed in an ambush in Kapai, Lanao del Sur on October 5, Friday. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte visited on Wednesday the wake of the five Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents, who were killed in an ambush in Kapai, Lanao del Sur last week.

The President awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kalasag to the victims’ family representatives, and also extended financial, burial, and employment assistance, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

The Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kalasag is given to those who lost their lives in the line of pushing for a campaign of the President.

The PDEA agents were ambushed in Kapai, Lanao del Sur on Friday by unidentified gunmen after a they had a dialogue with former illegal drug dependents in the Municipal Hall of Baranggay Kianibong, Tagoloan II.

A police report identified the fatalities as Kenneth Tabulo, Kristine Mae Torlao, Lores Joy Amar, Binzo Dipolla and Diobel Pacinio while those wounded were PDEA agent Rachel Gentapanan and non-uniformed personnel of Tagoloan Municipal Police Station Normina Dicay.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino also paid his respects  and condemned the “cowardly act” against the drug enforcement officers. — BAP, GMA News