National District.- The Ministry of the Interior and Police offered a mass in honor of the memory of 80 police officers killed in the line of duty.
At the mass, officiated by the metropolitan archbishop of Santo Domingo, Monsignor Francisco Ozoria, posthumous recognition plaques were also delivered to the relatives of the deceased agents.
By highlighting the work, passion and courage displayed by the fallen agents, Minister Jesús Vásquez Martínez announced that the relatives will not be abandoned to their fate, but that the current government will accompany them and provide all the support they need.
“The country will always be indebted to the loved ones of each officer who shed their blood to leave a better country and for this reason we are firmly convinced that we must continue strengthening the tools and training, so that the gap is closed more and more. of the risk they run and it could be the difference between life and death when carrying out their work, thus avoiding ruining their families, the ranks and their country”, assured Vásquez Martínez.
On his side, the director of the National Police, Major General Eduardo Alberto Then, regretted that, until the arrival of President Abinader, the families of the agents had not been met, who had been abandoned to their fate without complying with the Law 590-16.
“The president gave clear and precise instructions for the corresponding payment to be made to the beneficiaries, as well as the payment of the pending retroactive, assigning the pensions to their direct relatives, so that they can feed and educate their children,” said Alberto Then. .
He added that the payment of posthumous or funeral expenses was delivered to the beneficiaries of 237 fallen members with an amount of RD$111,655,491, as of August 1, 2022, through the Retirement Committee of the National Police.
“What I have in my hands, for me, is priceless.” Katherine Martínez, daughter of the late Sergeant Major José Pablo Martínez, proudly displayed one of the recognition plaques that were delivered as a tribute to 80 police officers who have fallen in service since 2012 to date.
After a bugle called for silence in honor of the victims, the Minister of the Interior and the director of the Police proceeded to deliver 10 of the posthumous recognition plaques to the next of kin representing the fallen officers.
Among these were the relatives of General Daniel Ramos Álvarez, who died in January 2019 in Baní; Lieutenant Colonel Ramón de Jesús Figueroa, killed in May 2016 in Santo Domingo; Major Santos Taveras Ureña, who died in April 2016 in Valverde; Captain Rigoberto Rosario Felipe, who died in April 2021 in the Duarte province, and First Lieutenant Eleodoro de Jesús, who died while monitoring a taxi driver who had raped a woman in February 2014 in the National District.
In addition, relatives of second lieutenant Manuel Matos Batista, who fell in October 2012 in the National District; Sergeant Major Denny Vásquez Javier, shot in September 2018 in Monte Plata; of Sergeant Basilio Taveras Carmona, who was killed when the patrol he was a part of was shot at in Sabana Grande de Boyá in July 2017.
Also, relatives of Corporal Séptimo Arcángel, assassinated in May 2022, and private Yamel Medina, shot in September 2016 in San Cristóbal.
LITURGICAL ACT
During the religious service held in the auditorium of the police force, Monsignor Francisco Ozoria called on the members of the institution to welcome the change and transformation put in place, because the people want police reform. He exhorted them to obey and listen to the Word of God.
Two relatives of fallen police officers participated in the homily in the corresponding readings of the ceremony.
OFFERTORY
Likewise, the institution’s flag was presented by two policemen, while the posthumous recognition plaques were shown by two aides-de-camp from the Ministry of the Interior.
While a family of the deceased passed on behalf of the others present at the tribute.
