SSupt Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa: Davaoeno's true friend

When you need a someone to save you from harm, you wouldn't think twice to call a real friend.

 Senior Superintendent Ronald Dela Rosa, the Davao City Police Director, is the man that can be relied on especially in life and death situations.

It was around 7:00pm on Friday (December 14, 2012) that Dela Rosa received a call about the presence of a suspected terrorist in Sampaguita Hotel in the heart of Davao City.

 

For him it was an urgent call that needed his immediate action. Known as 'Bato' among his close friends, Dela Rosa is a man of action.

 

As a former Constabulary officer, he had several experiences confronting real-life danger against notorious criminals and terrorists.

 

Aware about the potential harm or panic that the suspected terrorist may cause in the peaceful city east of Mindanao, he promptly alerted his men respond to a risky law enforcement operation.

 

He also alerted all military and police units in Davao City before executing his plan of action.

 

 

Confronting the terrorist

 

Initial reports submitted by his men revealed that the Malaysian suspect, Mohammad Noor Fikrie bin Abdul Kahar, was with his Filipino wife named Annabelle Nieva Lee inside Room 204 of the said hotel.

 

The informant also disclosed that the couple was carrying a bomb that could be detonated anytime. 

 

Knowing that the hotel was packed with people, Dela Rosa hatched a plan to arrest the suspects from a safer location outside the hotel.

 

He coordinated with the hotel management to peacefully eject the suspects so that they can arrest them once they are outside the premises.

 

"I didn't want to create panic among the people there especially if the bomb will be detonated right inside their hotel room," he said.

 

He said that the problem was that the suspects vehemently refused to leave because they had already paid for their stay.

 

It was only when the hotel staff threatened to call the police that the duo agreed to pack their things and check out of the hotel at around 10:30pm.

 

Dela Rosa and his men were patiently waiting at the hotel lobby until the suspects came out. He saw the woman was wearing a 'burkha', carrying a backpack.

 

"I immediately accosted the woman because I really thought that she had the bomb with her inside the backpack. My other companions approached Fikrie but the latter raised a cellphone, threatening to detonate the bomb," he said.

 

While everyone was trying to seek for cover, Fikrie and his wife attempted to escape by running outside the hotel.

 

Fikrie kept on raising the triggering device (cell phone) everytime the policemen come near behind them. The police marksmen held their fire to avoid hitting scores of people who were also within the vicinity.

 

In a desperate move, Fikrie grabbed the backpack from his wife and rushed towards People's Park which is also frequented by huge crowds of people.

 

Luckily, the security guards were able to lock up the whole area, preventing the suspect to enter the premises, forcing him to proceed towards Toryano's restaurant where he was cornered by the SWAT snipers.

 

Two bullets ended the life of Fikrie and his attempt to terrorize Davao City. 

 

"It was an 'Alpha-Alpha' hit by my snipers," he said, referring to the 'center of chest' bullet hits on the suspected terrorist.

The policemen seized the improvised bomb made out of a mortar high-explosive round. It was immediately brought to a safe location where it was deactivated by EOD experts.

 

Dela Rosa sighed in relief upon seeing the rapid end of a drama that could grab the attention of the people from the ongoing massive relief operations in the disaster stricken areas of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

 

Lee, a native of Sorsogon City and a Muslim convert, was held by the city police for questioning.

 

People who learned about the heroic feat of Dela Rosa and his men lauded them for risking their life and for successfully preventing a man-made disaster in the gateway of Mindanao.

 

For Dela Rosa, it was just another day for a public servant and a law enforcer.

 

The people in Davao have already known someone they could really call a true friend.