PNP chief orders dismissal of cop behind shooting of 18-year-old with special needs
MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Philippine National Police has approved the dismissal from the service of a Valenzuela City policeman who shot and killed a teenager with special needs during an anti-illegal gambling operation in May.
In a statement, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said that he ordered the removal of Police Senior Master Sergeant Christopher Salcedo from the service for grave misconduct and less grave irregularity in the performance of duty following the review of the PNP Internal Affairs Service recommendation.
The PNP-IAS, an independent office tasked to probe cops for possible violations, earlier recommended just a 40-day suspension for Salcedo citing the "accidental nature of the fatal shooting and his awards and citations as mitigating factors." Eleazar's decision overruled this.
“I have taken into consideration several factors that aggravated his offense including violation of the Police Operational Procedure as well as the fact that the teenager was a person with special needs," Eleazar said.
But Eleazar also disclosed that the administrative cases of grave neglect of duty and less grave neglect of duty against four other Valenzuela City police personnel who took part in the anti-illegal gambling operation were dropped as "there was no substantive evidence to support their supposed administrative offenses of grave neglect of duty and less grave neglect of duty."
Salcedo was administratively charged for the death of 18-year-old Erwin Arnigo in an anti-illegal gambling operation conducted by Valenzuela City Police personnel last May 23.
Police at the time said Arnigo was a suspect in the illegal cockfighting ring who grabbed a police officer's gun and was shot in the scuffle.
“Arnigo should not have been arrested by Valenzuela City police personnel, particularly Salcedo, the teenager having no involvement with the tupada. Being a person with autism spectrum disorder, he could not have knowingly taken part in the illegal gambling activity," the PNP chief admitted.
The NBI is still conducting a separate investigation to support the filing of a criminal complaint against Salcedo.
PWD Philippines in the aftermath of the killing questioned the narrative used by the police in explaining what it said was the "senseless and disturbing" death, calling it "baffling [that] not much details were provided."
"[That] has been used to explain every shooting involving teenagers. None of us in the community give credence to that old, overused story," it told Philstar.com.
"This only strengthens the fact that persons with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities are the easiest targets of abuse and violence, simply because they cannot articulately express themselves and that their testimonies are not given as much weight as a person without disabilities."
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