For personnel of the Basak Police Station in Mandaue City, it was business as usual until a taxi pulled over in front of the station around 11 a.m.
Inside was a woman about to give birth, accompanied by her brother.
The taxi driver was worried that she wouldn’t make it to the Ouano Hospital across the Mactan Channel in Lapu-Lapu City because of the traffic. He figured that a patrol car with its siren could better maneuver around the vehicles.
When Senior Inspector Rodgene Fudotan, the station chief, was told about the problem, the latter immediately ordered them to get the woman to the hospital, even though it was located outside their jurisdiction.
Driver Elmor Ceniza drove the station’s patrol car with body number “329” as fast as he could, heading towards the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge, while Gonzales and Josie Tejano, non-uniformed personnel, attended to the woman, who was clearly in labor.
Just as they made the crossing, the woman was in her final throes of motherhood. The mother started complaining that the baby was about to go out, the head was already showing, and she asked if she would like to push it. She was lucky that Tejano is a registered nurse, and the latter was able to assist her until she gave birth to her daughter.
Tejano and Ceniza’s help in helping the woman give birth was like an early Christmas gift to the mother and her newborn daughter.
“I couldn’t understand how I felt when I saw the baby come out from her mother, especially when the baby started to cry. I was so happy, and it was a good feeling that I was able to help in that way, especially when they thought it was a really big problem. We were the ones who were lucky,” Tejano said.
Meanwhile, Station Chief Fudotan was grateful to the public for placing their trust in the police, particularly to the taxi driver who brought the woman to their station.
He said what happened last Monday morning also showed that the police are not only concerned with peace and order. They are also here to serve the public in any way possible.
As for the mother and her daughter, they were turned over to the staff of the Ouano Hospital around noon.
