Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Tuesday assured a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of a curfew violator allegedly suffering from mental illness in Tondo, Manila.
Eleazar said barangay tanod or village watchman Cesar Panlaqui, who shot Eduardo Geñoga on Saturday night, is already under the custody of the Manila Police District.
“Naghahanda na rin ng mga karampatang kaso ang ating kapulisan upang mapanagot ang barangay tanod na nakapatay ng isa nating kababayan sa Maynila (Our police are also preparing necessary charges to hold accountable the barangay peace and security officer who killed one of our citizens in Manila),” Eleazar said.
Based on the initial report, Panlaqui shot the 59-year-old victim for allegedly making noise during curfew hours in Tondo.
“Kasama sa iimbestigahan ay kung bakit may baril itong barangay tanod at kung ito ba ay rehistrado. Kung lalabas sa imbestigasyon na hindi rehistrado ang baril na nakumpiska kay Panlaqui ay haharap pa siya sa karagdagang kaso ng illegal possession of firearm (Part of the investigation is why this village watchman has a gun and whether it is registered. If the investigation reveals that the firearm confiscated from Panlaqui is not registered, he will face additional charges of illegal possession of a firearm),” Eleazar said.
Eleazar expressed deep sympathy to the family of Geñoga and promised that justice will be served.
“Tututukan natin ang kasong ito at makakaasa ang pamilya ng biktima na gagawin natin ang lahat na legal na paraan upang mapanagot ang maygawa nito (We will focus on this case and the family of the victim can be assured that we will do all legal means to hold the culprit accountable),” he said.
Following the incident, Eleazar reminded all law enforcers of the rules of engagement and other operational procedures of the PNP, especially that thousands of policemen have been deployed to enforce the quarantine rules.
“Walang kaugnayan sa pagpapatupad ng curfew ang nangyaring insidente sa Maynila (The incident in Manila had nothing to do with the implementation of the curfew) but just the same, we remind our personnel to always observe our protocols especially in dealing with civilians, particularly in the enforcement of the ECQ in Metro Manila and other areas,” Eleazar said.
Eleazar made this reminder after Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra called on law enforcers to observe the protocols when making apprehensions, especially in areas placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
He also assured the public that police personnel will always abide by the rule of law in arresting or apprehending violators.
“Sinisiguro kong susundin ng ating kapulisan ang mga nakasaad sa guidelines na pinirmahan ng DOJ at DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] tungkol sa paghandle ng mga insidente ng health protocol violations (I assure you that our police will follow the guidelines signed by the DOJ and DILG regarding the handling of incidents of health protocol violations),” Eleazar said.
In June, the DOJ and DILG signed the internal guidelines for law enforcers and government agencies in handling health protocol violations amid the community quarantine.
The joint memorandum circular made clear the roles of concerned government agencies in managing these cases.
“Agad pananagutin ng PNP ang mga pulis na magmamalabis o aabuso sa pagpapatupad ng guidelines. Mahalaga na pairalin ng ating kapulisan ang maximum tolerance at courtesy sa pagsita sa mga quarantine violators (The PNP will immediately hold accountable the police who abuse the implementation of the guidelines. It is important that our police exercise maximum tolerance and courtesy in visiting quarantine violators),” Eleazar said.
He called for understanding from the public as they strictly implement health protocols, particularly in the ECQ areas.
“In the enforcement of minimum public health safety standards and ECQ rules in Metro Manila, we always remind our law enforcers to observe maximum tolerance on quarantine violators. Hindi dapat humantong sa paggamit ng dahas ang paninita sa mga violators (should not lead to the use of force against the violators),” he added.
He directed police commanders to make sure that no barangay peace and security officer would be allowed to carry guns especially in the enforcement of the quarantine rules.
Village watchmen are among the force multipliers in the implementation of quarantine rules in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.
Source: Philippines News Agency
