By Jaime Laude Home, Phil Star
A soldier due for retirement single-handedly fought off a five-man robbery gang believed to be headed by a policeman.
For answering the call beyond his tour of duty last Friday, M/Sgt. Eleno Leopoldo of 58th Infantry Battalion based in Misamis oriental, will be honored for his heroism, Maj. Julio Eugene Osias IV, spokesman of the 4th Infantry Division said.
On leave prior to retirement, Leopoldo, a native of Surigao del Sur, was returning home after following up his Army exit schooling when he chanced upon an ongoing robbery near his place at Purok Kalipay, Sitio Banuison, Barangay Burgos, Cortes town in Surigao del Sur at about 5:30 p.m. last Friday.
Leopoldo’s attention was caught by a loud commotion while walking home and when he checked to verify, he came across five armed robbery suspects.
“Without hesitation and beyond the call of duty, M/Sgt. Leopoldo, engaged the robbers, killing one and injuring the other who was later arrested by the responding local policemen,†Osias said.
Local police investigators later identified the slain suspect as Police Officer 1 Arnold Valinten Olveda, assigned at the Mati City Police in Davao del Sur.
Olveda was identified through an identification card recovered from his pocket by the local police. Police also retrieved a cal. 9mm and a cal .45 pistols from the slain suspect's possession.
Leopoldo, using a caliber .22 rifle, also hit and wounded another suspect identified as Tomie Vainten Olveda, believed to be a relative of the slain policeman-suspect.
Three remaining suspects, however, were able to escape with P400,000 cash and P14,000 worth of jewelry and a cellphone from the grocery store raided by the gang.
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