IMUS, Cavite — A veteran police officer succumbed to cardiac arrest while having physical exercises with his colleagues on Tuesday afternoon at the Cavite Police Provincial Office (CPPO) grounds in Camp General Pantaleon Garcia in this town.

PO 3 Florencio Gamana Alivio was a likely victim of heatstroke, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the Imus Medical Center at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Alivio, 48, was a radio operator of CPPO Tactical Operation Center (TOC) and former resident of Block 21, Lot 5, Phase 2, Sunshine Homes Subdivision, General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) town, Cavite.

Colleagues said heatstroke may have caused the sudden demise of Alivio. The officer was strong when he joined the athletic activities at the police provincial headquarters grounds, it was gathered.

Heatstroke is an acute condition of hyperthermia (an abnormal increase of body temperature) that is caused by prolonged exposure to excessive heat and/or humidity. Tuesday was one of the hottest days this month, it was observed.

A CPPO report said that Alivio fainted as he and his colleagues were having tae bo at the camp’s open basketball court at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Tae bo is an exercise program combining elements of boxing, dance and tae kown do, a Korean martial art.

Alivio sustained bruises on the forehead when he collapsed on the cemented court.

The officer was seen jogging earlier in the vicinity, the report said.

Able-bodied police officers and men undergo exercises on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the camp grounds, it was learned.

Officers said that Alivio was a loss to the CPPO as he was one of the “boys” of the TOC, a radio communication office under the Operations Branch.