3 Quezon City traffic cops sued over gun-toting incident

MANILA, Philippines — Three Quezon City traffic policemen who initially handled the viral gun-toting incident involving a dismissed police officer and a cyclist last Aug. 8 are facing an administrative complaint.

The city government yesterday confirmed that a case was filed against Staff Sergeants Darwin Peralta and Joel Aviso and Executive Master Sgt. Armando Carr before the Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB).

The three are all members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Traffic Sector 4 in Kamuning, which initially handled the incident.

Lawyer Raymond Fortun charged the policemen with oppression, irregularities in the performance of duties and incompetence.

According to the city government, dismissed policeman Wilfredo Gonzales and the cyclist were first brought to the QCPD Kamuning police station as the matter was first considered a traffic incident by respondents from the QCPD Galas police station.

Since there was no resolution in Kamuning, the two were again referred to the Galas police station, where the alleged settlement of the case happened.

“Despite the clear and imbalanced status of the parties, the same police officers failed to protect the rights of the cyclist when they failed to provide a legal counsel for him so that the latter would be duly appraised of his rights,” Fortun said in a statement released by the city government.

“Further, they failed to secure the CCTV footages in the area in order to ferret out the real facts in the conflicting statements made by the parties. Finally, and for reasons known only to them, and despite there being sufficient basis to do so, the same police officers failed to file the appropriate charges,” he added.

Fortun, a cyclist, was among those who pledged support to the victim of the incident.

Mayor Joy Belmonte welcomed Fortun’s actions, saying his move to file a case with the PLEB “is a vote of confidence” with the city government.

“What we need now are little acts of heroism from ordinary Filipinos, to stand up for what is right to exact accountability from those in power… The proper process in the proper forum, which is the PLEB, will now take its course,” she said.

“This incident also highlights the need to institutionalize the presence of PLEB in other cities and municipalities to hear and decide the complaints filed against erring policemen. I am confident that the case filed in the PLEB will be handled without fear or favor,” the mayor added.

Created under Republic Act 6975 or the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act, PLEBs are considered as check and balance mechanisms for the police force. They handle administrative cases filed by ordinary citizens against the police.

PLEB chairman and executive officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan committed to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.

He earlier invited members of the Galas police station to shed light on the supposed settlement between Gonzales and the cyclist.

“The institutions, particularly the PLEB, are in place so that the community will feel safe and secure in their homes. We commit to serve as an effective watchdog against abusive cops, and at the same time serve as partners to our men in uniform toward nation-building,” Calinisan said.

“As far as the case filed by Fortun is concerned, we promise to act on this case with absolute dispatch,” he added.