Seconds from Danger: Off-duty cop rescues boy in peril on Baguio overpass

Baguio City, Philippines – Driven by his instinct to serve and protect, an off-duty police officer rescued a boy who was dangerously positioned on an overpass along Harrison Road in Baguio City on April 21.

Police Corporal Credence Jayzer Magno, a native of Ifugao and a resident of Baguio City, was off duty on Tuesday afternoon when he happened to pass along Harrison Road and noticed the young boy in a “dangerous and vulnerable position” on the overpass.

Magno immediately acted, rushing forward and pulling the boy to safety. After ensuring the child was out of danger, he coordinated with the Baguio City Police Office, and the child was turned over to the Women and Children Protection Desk of Police Station 7.

The Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCAR) said the boy was later reunited with his mother and brought home shortly after the incident.

For Magno, who is assigned to the Baguio City Police Office Traffic Enforcement Unit, helping others—even while off duty—is not about recognition but about being present for those in need.

“His actions remind us that true service does not begin or end with a shift; it lives in instinct, in courage, and in the quiet decision to step forward when it matters most,” PROCAR said in a press release issued on April 23.

It can be recalled that Baguio City police, through swift intervention, also prevented two similar incidents on April 10 and March 22, 2026. Both cases involved individuals who were dangerously positioned on overpasses in the city.

PROCAR emphasized that help is available and encouraged those in need to reach out through the following hotlines: the National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline (1553 for nationwide landline users; 0919-057-1553 or 0917-899-8727); the Philippine Mental Health Association – Cordillera Chapter Inc. ((074) 442-2337, 0962-240-2860 or 0917-517-2083); and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center Mental Health Crisis Hotline (0917-701-2647).