EVEN as they grieved over the death of two of their colleagues in Cagayan de Oro police yesterday pressed their search, rescue, relief and retrieval operations in areas ravaged by tropical storm “Sendong.”

Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said their operations in Northern Mindanao will continue even during Christmas Day and until the situation returns to normal.

As of yesterday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Center said the death toll as a result of “Sendong’s” fury has already reached 1,010 with 51 others still recorded as missing.

A total of 1,603 people were also reported injured while 432 were rescued by soldiers and policemen.

Gen. Bartolome, who is currently in Mindanao supervising the stepped-up police relief and retrieval operations, said appropriate honors and promotion will be given to Inspector Charlito Penuliar and Senior Police Officer 1 Charlon Edrote who were both swept away by rampaging waters last Saturday and drowned.

Awards will also be given to all members of the police force who have been braving the stench of death in Cagayan De Oro City and Iligan City since last Saturday in search of possible survivors.

“This should not dampen the spirit of our policemen. This is a reality in the police service where our lives are always at risk particularly in situations like this,” Bartolome said.

The 36-year-old Inspector Penuliar was a member of the Regional Public Safety Battalion 10 who was swept away by a sudden surge of strong water current while crossing a river in an operation to arrest members of a notorious robbery-holdup gang in Barangay Nangka in Libona, Bukidnon around 4 p.m. last Saturday.

The police team which was ordered to return to base to prepare to help victims of “Sendong” returned minus the body of Penuliar, said Superintendent Leony Ga, the operations chief of the Police Regional Office 10.

His body was found two days later along Bubunawan River in Bgy. Imbatug in Baungon, Bukidnon. Penuliar is a recipient of 17 awards and decorations during his young police career. He left behind his wife and a young son and daughter,.

Police also recovered the body of one of their colleagues, Senior Police Officer 1 Charlon Edrote who was swept away by rampaging floodwaters while involved in a rescue operation in the badly-devastated region last week.

Another cop identified as SPO2 Roque Balestoy was also swept by rampaging waters but was eventually found alive in Camiguin Island. Still missing since last Saturday is PO2 Sandy Labadan.

Another former police officer identified as ex-Senior Inspector-turned lawyer Rexy Pador also drowned in Cagayan de Oro. PNP Highway Patrol Group director Chief Superintendent Leonardo A. Espina said Attorney Pador is a big loss to the PNP-HPG since he is known for his full support to the unit when it comes to the filing of criminal cases against car theft personalities being arrested in connection with the recovery of motor vehicles stolen in Metro Manila and shipped to Northern Mindanao where they are given fraudulent Land Transportation Office documents and license plates.