Oro police’s golden age ends with Amora’s death

By Nitz Arancon

DODONG Amora’s rise to prominence came after his 1984 gunfight with New People’s Army (NPA) hitmen near the fruit stand in Divisoria where a rebel was killed. He survived after absorbing seven gunshots.

His group, “Aguila,” attained cult status after they wiped out heavily armed members of the “Dragon Gang” in a fierce encounter in Lapasan in 1989. The crime group, a spin-off of the dreaded Kuratong Baleleng, was about to stage a big robbery in the city. Despite the military training of some of its members, the crime group proved to be of no match to Amora’s group.

Retired Senior Supt. Eleuterio Amora, the leader of the what used to be the most feared group of police officers in this part of the country, died of cardiac arrest at the Capitol University Medical Center on Friday night. He passed away a day after he celebrated his 65th birthday.

Amora was the nemesis of the lawless. His name or the sight of the dark blue, partly bulletproof and customized Aguila van alone was enough to make petty criminals next door scamper.

Mindanews photo editor Froilan  Gallardo, who covered and wrote extensively about the Aguila’s exploits, said Amora’s death “marks the end of an era when police officers in Cagayan de Oro dedicated their lives to prevent criminals from gaining a foothold in the city.”

“Amora was Cagayan de Oro’s most feared police officer. A fearless crime fighter, a NPA hunter and dedicated public servant,” said Gallardo. “Many accused Amora of being a human rights violator being the leader of the Aguila police unit but there is no denying that Dodong as we, police beat reporters fondly called him, was responsible for eradicating petty thievery in the city. His passing also marks the end of the golden days of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office.”

Amora’s long-time friend and one of his trusted subordinates in the Aguila, retired SPO4 Benjamin Rada said he was deeply affected over the death of his former leader.

“The man’s a legend,” said Rada. “There is no policeman in Cagayan de Oro like him. He was brave and he valued integrity. He was the type who won’t receive [bribes]. He never did that unlike some policemen today.”

Cagayan de Oro Press Club executive vice president Bingo Alcordo, who was the first to break the story about Aguila’s encounter with a crime syndicate in 1989, said Amora was a “darling of the press” because he understood the job of a police beat reporter.

“He was a natural leader among his peers,” Alcordo said.

“Covering Amora and his group was a reporter’s dream. Today’s reporters have no idea what they missed,” said The Gold Star Daily editor-in-chief Herbie Gomez who was also among the reporters who covered the police team’s bloody encounter with the Dragon Gang and many of its succeeding exploits. “I have never seen a police team that worked the way Amora’s team operated.”

Amora and his men’s brand of law enforcement was unconventional. They were unshaven, sported untrimmed and shaggy hair, and were always in rugged clothes like they wanted to look “more criminal” than the criminals themselves.

“Terrorize the terrorist,” Gomez quoted Amora as telling him in one interview in the ’90s. “The police have to send a message to the lawless that force would always be met by greater force, that no one is above the law, and that no one can hide forever because we are going to get them.”

Joey Nacalaban, another reporter who covered the operations of Aguila which morphed into the Intelligence Special Operations Group (Isog), said Amora was a kind man who showed friends that he valued friendship. He said he last saw the police retiree early this month and because he was happy to see a long-time friend, “he bought me two kilos of mangoes.”

Members of the Amora family said the retired police colonel died at around 7:30 pm at the CUMC in Gusa where he was rushed due to chest pains.

Amora’s son Brad Mark said the retired police official first complained of chest pains and difficulty in breathing on Friday morning.

He was brought to the CUMC but a doctor there said there was nothing wrong with him and sent the police retiree home, said Brad Mark.

The family rushed him back to the CUMC at around 6 pm because his condition worsened. Amora died of cardiac arrest an hour and a half later in the CUMC’s emergency room.

Amora was born in Barangay Mirayon, Talakag Bukidnon on April 18, 1948.

He took up a criminology course at the Univerisity of Visayas sa Cebu and he joined the now defunct Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police as a private in 1972.

He served in the government for 31 years and retired as a police colonel in 2003 after serving as deputy chief  for administration of Camp Alagar.

All in all, Amora reaped 143 medals and awards, 43 of which he bagged when he served in Butuan City.

Amora was one of 1982’s and 1998’s 10 most oustanding policemen in the Philippines.

The biggest award he received was a medal of valor in connection with the 1984 gunfight in Divisoria after NPA hitmen shot a patrolman. A wounded Amora shot and killed one of the hitmen identified as “Commander Regie.”

Amora and his group would find themselves killing another NPA-Sparrow Unit member identified as Nathaniel Avila a.k.a. “Commander Badong” during a shootout near what used to be the de Leon Gun  Store  at Pabayo-Cruz Taal streets in the early ’90s.

When Vicente Emano became mayor, Amora was tasked to head the Mayor’s Action Squad for Assistance (Masa). For unclear reasons, there was a falling out and Amora subsequently distanced himself from the Emano administration.

He told The Gold Star Daily last year that he was disappointed about the deteriorating peace and order situation in the city.

Amora avoided politics even when many prodded him to seek election in the city because of his popularity. When he retired, he opted to go low profile and became an active member of the Knights of Columbus. He was also president of a senior  citizens group in Cugman, his barangay.

Amora is survived by his wife Judith and children Brad Mark, 38, Jessah, 37,  Bede Vince 36 and Jiwanah, 33.

One of his children said Amora’s remains would be cremated on  April 27.