Police respond to dramatic emergencies: Child saved, officer surrenders, woman revived

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Philippine police handled a string of life-and-death incidents this week, from saving a drowning child in Olongapo City to peacefully resolving a standoff in Bataan and rescuing an unconscious woman in Benguet.

In Olongapo City, officers rushed to the Suzuki Beach Hotel where a nine-year-old child had been pulled unconscious from a pool. Police administered CPR, reviving the child before bringing them to James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital. Medical staff later confirmed that the child was in stable condition.

In Abucay, Bataan, a police officer allegedly shot and wounded a security guard after a verbal altercation. Bataan police director PCol Marites Salvadora successfully negotiated the officer’s surrender without protective gear.

“Kinausap ko lang po sa [local] dialect namin at pinasok ko nang mag-isa. Kung hindi po kasi ako gagawa ng hakbang, ay it’s either siya ang mabaril o mga pulis na nag-responde,” she told the Daily Tribune.

“Bilang ina ng Bataan, gusto ko pong maging tahimik at walang madisgrasya, mapa-civilian man o kapulisan,” she added.

In La Trinidad, Benguet, police discovered a woman unconscious in a public area. Officers provided first aid and rushed her to Benguet General Hospital, where she regained consciousness and remains under observation.

Residents commended the police for their quick response in Olongapo and Benguet, though questions continue to surround the Bataan shooting. The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) confirmed that the wounded security guard is in stable condition, while the officer involved remains under investigation.