General, 9 cops charged in PNP doctor’s death

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges against a Philippine National Police general and nine other officers for the death of a PNP doctor from the accidental inhalation of a disinfectant at a COVID-19 quarantine facility in Pasig City two years ago.

The NBI filed on Feb. 11 the complaints against the PNP officers for the death of Capt. Casey Gutierrez before the Department of Justice, which set the preliminary investigation on the complaints against the police officers on April 18.

Among the respondents are Maj. Gen. Herminio Tadeo Jr., former director of the PNP Health Service, and Lieutenant Colonels Rizaldy Carpio and Romeo Supapo Jr., who were charged with grave neglect of duty, grave misconduct, irregularity in the performance of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Tadeo, current director of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management, is set to retire on May 24.

Carpio was the manager of the Ultra quarantine facility at the Philsports Arena while Supapo was the officer in charge of the PNP’s chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives unit.

Majors Jona Andanar-Cuevas and Celeste Asilo, Staff Sergeants Christopher Quitaleg and Mario Sanchez Jr., and Patrolmen Louie Jean Duque and Abdul Shattar Zailon III were charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and gross neglect of duty.

The NBI also charged Dr. Corazon Flores with gross neglect of duty.

Gutierrez died on May 30, 2020 after accidentally inhaling a disinfectant at the Ultra quarantine facility.

Gutierrez was undergoing decontamination when he experienced difficulty in breathing.

He was brought to the PNP General Hospital and transferred to the Lung Center of the Philippines, where he died.

An investigation revealed Gutierrez became ill after he was sprayed with sodium hypochlorite or bleach.