Policeman faces cases for indiscriminate firing

CEBU, Philippines – Police Officer 2 Rolex Manawataw has been put in camp restriction at the Regional Service Office, pending investigation preparatory for the filing of administrative and criminal cases against him for alleged indiscriminate firing last December 28 at Barangay Apitong in Tacloban City.

Police Regional Office-8 issued the order against Manawataw, assigned to the Police Regional Service Battalion, who surrendered his .45-caliber firearm and two empty shells of the bullet right after firing his gun.

Superintendent Carlo Centenaje, chief of PRO-8 Police Community Relations unit, said Manawataw was taken to the RSO, headed by Superintendent Rolando Parilla, while investigators were also looking into the policeman's other criminal cases still pending at the Hall of Justice in Tacloban.

"This is considered a grave offense for policemen, when he allegedly fired his firearms illegally. We are also looking if the firearm was licensed. If he is found guilty, he can be dismissed from service," said Centenaje.

Manawataw, for his part, said he fired his gun when he was insulted by a group of young men who laughed at him while they were having a drinking spree.

Meanwhile, PRO-8 also recorded another indiscriminate firing incident committed by a businessman, allegedly drunken at the time, at Poblacion of Almeria town in Biliran, during the New Year's Day revelries.

Centenaje identified the suspect as Mario Amador, 43, who is also facing a criminal charge filed by Almeria policemen for illegal discharge of firearms.

PRO-8 has already accounted for two stray bullets during New Year's Day: Celestino Cabalos in Barangay Bolosaw of Lawaan town in Eastern Samar and Rene Pacetes of Guindapunan in Carigara, Leyte. Both survived from the gunshot wounds and were taken to hospitals.

The police further reported at least 36 victims from firecracker blasts, mostly in the three provinces of Samar. There were no firecracker-related injuries in Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran.