Wounded Davao policeman receives cash aid from ECC

DAVAO CITY -- The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) handed over cash assistance on Monday to a police officer, who was wounded when he figured in a shootout with a fugitive in September.

Cpl. Joel Villegas received the PHP10,000 cash assistance from ECC at the Police Regional Office 11 headquarters here.

The cash assistance was on top of sickness benefits, medical reimbursement, and a PHP30,000 worth of livelihood assistance from the ECC.

On September 14, Villegas and four other Bunawan police officers responded to a tip that a homicide suspect, Basilio Abrigoso, who had a pending warrant of arrest, was spotted in Barangay Mahayag.

Police said Abrigoso and his brother Rogelio fired at the responding police officers, hitting Villegas in different parts of his body, and prompting the other policemen to re

taliate.

The suspect was killed instantly while his brother was taken into police custody.

Stella ZipaganBanawis, ECC executive director, said the cash grant to victims of work-related injuries is in consonance with the commission’s mandate to improve the benefits under its Employees’ Compensation Programs.

“We find ways to provide optimal use of the EC Benefits for the needy workers,” she added.

Meanwhile, Col. Edgar Alan Okubo, PRO-11 deputy director, thanked the ECC for the assistance extended to Villegas.

“This surely boosts the eagerness of PNP officers to serve the public with utmost dedication,” Okubo said.

Pursuant to Board Resolution 18-02-07, the ECC has prescribed cash assistance amounting to PHP10,000 and PHP15,000 under its Quick Response Program for the work-connected injuries and death, respectively.

The grant of EC Cash assistance is retroactively applied for work-related injuries or death transpired from 2016 onward among uniformed personnel and from 2018 onward among civilian workers.

The ECC is a government corporation attached to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).