“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” –Martin Luther King Jr. ”
Gunshots echoed through a residential community in Sitio Tugatog, Barangay Tambubong in Bocaue, Bulacan on March 8, 2025. The deafening sound had alerted the residents but they could not help but wonder what actually had happened, and who was the perpetrator, and if there was any victim. Unfortunately, there and then, one of the police officers who had implemented a so-called buy-bust operation against illegal firearms was fatally shot by the suspect. Despite the status of his co-police officer, Police Staff Sergeant Dennis Cudiamat’s sheer determination to duty and the desire to effect the said buy-bust led him to follow the direction of the suspect but he was caught off-guard by one of the suspects who shot him dead on the spot. Although PSSg Gian George Dela Cruz was brought to the nearest hospital, he was declared dead on arrival.
On March 10, a follow-up operation was conducted by the Bocaue Municipal Police Station in collaboration with other PNP Units under the Police Regional Office 3. This led to the successful arrest of one of the suspects identified as alias “Dado”, 38-year old, resident of Barangay Bunsuran, Pandi, Bulacan. Seized in his possession and custody was a .38 caliber revolver (no serial number), a hand grenade, a Rusi 125 motorcycle with a sidecar, a genuine Php1,000 bill used in the buy-bust operation, and four boodle money bills. Likewise, a Honda Beat motorcycle which was believed to have been used by the suspects to flee the scene of the cop killings was also found by the police operatives in Barangay Bunsuran II of the same town.
Investigation revealed that Dado had accomplices who, as of this writing, still remain at large, including his brother named Edison Malubay Bayumbon alias Xander who was responsible of the cop killings as seen in the CCTV footages.
Police Brigadier General Jean S Fajardo, the interim PNP Spokesperson and the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office 3, had said during a press conference in Camp BGen Rafael T Crame in Quezon City, that PNP had already allotted a cash reward to anyone who can provide information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects.
“Naglabas kami (PRO-3) ng reward na Php100,000. Nagbigay [din ng] Php100,000 reward ang LGU [local government unit] ng Bocaue as per PD [Provincial Director] of Bulacan sa sinumang makakapagbigay ng information sa posibleng kinaroroonan nitong si alias Xander… at maaresto natin ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” Fajardo said.
PBGen Fajardo also reiterated that PRO 3 cops are still continuously conducting manhunt operations, particularly in locating alias Xander.
“The PNP will relentlessly pursue all those responsible for this heinous attack. We will not rest until justice is served. This act of violence against our personnel will not go unpunished and we will ensure that the full force of the law is brought down upon the perpetrators,” PBGen Fajardo had added.
Both the arrested suspect and those at large were already charged with multiple cases, including violations of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act (RA 10591), the Omnibus Election Code, the Illegal Possession of Explosives Act (RA 9516), and double murder.
Police General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, Chief of the Philippine National Police, paid a personal visit to the wake of both Police Staff Sergeants Dennis Cudiamat and Gian George Dela Cruz in Barangay Matungao, Bulakan, Bulacan on March 15. The Chief, PNP conferred upon the fallen soldiers the Medalya ng Kadakilaan for their extraordinary courage in offering their ultimate sacrifice for country and the Filipino people. Financial assistance from the Office of the Chief PNP and PSMBFI was also extended to their families, along with a scholarship grant to secure the education of their children, an enduring testament that PNP will never forget its own.
Accompanying the PNP Top Cop were PMGen Niel B. Alinsañgan, Director of the Directorate for Comptrollership; PBGen Jean S. Fajardo, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 3; and PCol Satur L. Ediong, Provincial Director of Bulacan PPO—all standing in solidarity with the grieving families and the entire police force.
The nation mourns, but it also remembers. Their sacrifice strengthens our resolve, and their legacy will inspire generations of law enforcers to come.
