By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto commended on Monday two city policemen for turning down a bribe offer from a woman whose niece they earlier arrested for possession of illegal drugs.

Senior Police Officer 1 Charlie Asuncion and PO2 John Barraza received medals and citations from Calixto for their exemplary performance during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony at the Pasay City Hall quadrangle.

“Our policemen in Pasay should follow their good deed. These are the kinds of policemen that we need to show our people that they can be trusted and that not all policemen are corrupt,” Calixto said.

Earlier, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) gave “Medalya ng Papuri” to Asuncion and Barraza. The Southern Police District (SPD) also gave commendation to the two police officers.

“Pasay policemen should maintain good values, discipline and dignity amid the negative image of policemen coming out in the news nowadays,” Calixto stressed as he reminded Asuncion and Barraza that they should maintain to be “Pasay’s Best.”

“The act of Asuncion and Barraza is the living truth of being ‘Pasay’s Best’ and that they are doing their job beyond the call of duty,” the mayor said, adding that he will continue to give recognition to policemen who are doing their job well.

It can be recalled that on Oct. 2, the two police officers, both members of the Pasay police intelligence unit, arrested Angela Bernardo, 23, for possession of 20 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” at a bus terminal in the city.

Bernardo had brought the drugs with her from Nueva Ecija.

After Bernardo was taken to the police intelligence unit, her aunt, Babylyn Canlas, appeared at the station.

According to the police officers, Canlas approached them and offered a P20,000 bribe in exchange for the release of Bernardo.

Asuncion and Barraza refused the offer and warned Canlas that she could be charged with the crime of corruption of public officials.

But Canlas insisted and placed on top of the table the cash money consisting of 15 pieces of P1,000 peso bills and 10 pieces of P500 peso bills, prompting the two policemen to arrest her and charge her with corruption of public officers.