Three inept, ‘do-nothing’ cops investigated
VIDEO RECORDED INACTION
ROSALES— When the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) ordered higher police visibility in all towns, three policemen in this town took that order literally to heart – simply to be visible and do nothing else.
For simply being visible but failing to arrest a politician’s relative for openly toting a handgun in public, they are now the subject of an investigation ordered by P/Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Biay officer-in-charge at the PPPO.
The three policemen were caught on video talking with Julio Pagador, reportedly a brother of Mayor Susan Pagador-Casareno of this town, who stood with them openly holding a handgun before proceeding to the entrance of the SM City Rosales here and fired shots indiscriminately Sunday afternoon.
It is not known at presstime if Pagador had intended to shoot a particular target when he fired the shots.
Biay said Police Officer 3 Victor Natividad and P01s Arnold Sumangil Jr and Rolando Miniano, both unarmed and undergoing field training, are under investigation after they were identified in a video uploaded by lawyer Genaro Mariñas.
Within two days, the video went viral in social media, registering 1,211,173 views and 61, 181 shares as of 7:00 p.m. Tuesday (Dec. 23).
In the video, Pagador was seen brandishing a caliber .45 while talking to the three policemen briefly then walked away without being accosted by the policemen on patrol.
Pagador, who was reportedly under the influence of liquor, fired successive shots hitting the roof of the mall that made shoppers and bystanders scamper for safety.
Mariñas was heard shouting on the video, urging the three policemen from a distance to arrest and seize the gun before the suspect walked away and started shooting.
Mariñas told police that prior to taking the video, Pagador pointed his gun towards some people, including himself in front of the SM City Rosales, yet policemen did nothing to arrest him even as he held the gun openly. This apparently irked Mariñas and decided to record the situation.
On video, Pagador was eventually subdued by Natividad when the former began walking back in his direction after the shooting.
No one was hit by Pagador’s indiscriminate firing.
Biay said based on the video, it is undeniable that there were lapses on the part of the policemen.
“I immediately ordered the investigation and finding cause for their administrative sanction, there would be a summary hearing,” Biay said.
“As we see in the video, there is a clear case of administrative lapses on the part of the police officers,” P/Supt. Ferdinand de Asis, PPPO Public Information Officer, said.
The result of the investigation and PPPOs recommendation will be forwarded to the police regional director.
At presstime, it is now known whether the .45 caliber gun of Pagador is licensed or not. Responding policemen recovered four empty shells at the crime scene.
According to Asis, P/Chief Insp. Randy Arellano, the town police chief, will also be administratively liable depending on the results of the parallel investigation.
Pagador will be charged criminally that includes grave threat, alarm and scandal, and assault upon person in authority and illegal possession of firearms if his firearm is found unlicensed.
Netizens roundly condemned the policemen’s inaction. (Tita Roces)
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