Highest awards to be conferred on Pasay cop slain in anti-drug ops —PNP

The slain chief of the Pasay City Police's intelligence section will be honored with top awards by the Philippine National Police after getting killed in an anti-drug operation over the weekend.

“Definitely, the PNP will give him the highest awards and at the same time, all the financial support for the bereaved family of Senior Inspector Taytayon,” PNP spokesperson and Chief Superintendent Benigno Durana told reporters.

The Medal of Valor is the highest award given by the PNP to any member of the PNP “who have performed in action a deed of personal bravery and self-sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty so conspicuous as to distinguish himself clearly above his comrades in the performance of more than ordinary hazardous service.”

The second highest award, on the other hand, is the PNP Distinguished Conduct Medal which is given to a member of the PNP “for acts of conspicuous courage and gallantry in the face of an armed enemy or act of heroism so notable and involving a risk of life so extraordinary as to set him apart from his comrades.”

Based on the report by the Pasay City police, Taytayon was shot dead by drug suspect Narc Tulod Delemios amid the exchange of gunfire policemen and the suspect. 

Delemios is also the suspect in the killing of Grab driver Gerardo Maquidato, Jr. last year.

But according to Raffy Tima's report on Saksi on Monday, Taytayon’s father—Police Officer 3 Manuel Taytayon—expressed doubts on the police’s account of events.

He said the gunshot wounds on his son’s body were all located in the back.

The elder Taytayon said his son had told him that a fellow police officer was involved in the illegal drug trade.

Durana  assured Taytayon’s family that there would be no whitewash in the probe.

“Every time we have a police operation that resulted to deaths either of the suspects or the operating unit, meron silang after operation report that would be evaluated by the higher office,” Durana said.

“In this case, it’s the SPD (Southern Police District), definitely, we will not shirk in our responsibility of making sure that we [will] give justice to everyone,” he added. —NB, GMA News