Cop shouting at Quiapo “hard-headed” residents isolated case – PNP

March 29, 2020

The incident in Quiapo, Manila where a police officer manning a checkpoint was seen shouting at residents in the area was only an “isolated case,” the Philippine National Police said on Sunday.

In a radio interview, the head of the Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield (JTF CV Shield), deputy chief for Operations Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said aside from this incident in Manila, the PNP has not recorded other police abuses during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

“That is only an isolated case. I can only imagine the frustration of our personnel that in spite of the sacrifice, the vulnerability of police officer everyday… there are really hard-headed residents but we remind our men that they cannot lose their patience and verbally or physically abuse the people,” Eleazar said.

On Thursday, a video circulated online about a police officer who was shouting and cursing at residents who were showing their quarantine passes to allow them to go out of the area.

The cop also threatened to shoot those who would continue to roam around.

Eleazar said PNP chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa has already ordered an investigation on the incident.

“We are still waiting for the result and this will serve as a stern warning to all police personnel that they should not do something like that,” he said.

“This is an isolated case and this should not affect the morale of our police and on how the people look at our front liners,” he added.

The chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also reminded the cops to respect human rights.

“My instruction to my men is clear and unequivocal that despite stringent implementation of the policies related to community quarantine, due respect for the right of our citizens must always be observed,” NCRPO chief Police Major Debold Sinas said in a press briefing last Friday.

Sinas said he already ordered Manila Police District director Brigadier General Rolando Miranda to conduct an in-depth investigation as the “circulating video of the incident relative to the implementation of enhanced community quarantine by Police Station 3- MPD personnel led by their station commander inside the golden mosque compound at Quiapo, Manila is only a partial scene in the whole scenario.”

“There were lacking scenes there that will justify what really happened. However, an in-depth investigation has been directed to the district director of MPD guaranteeing that NCRPO will never tolerate or condone any wrongdoings of our police officer and personnel in the implementation of enhanced community quarantine or for that matter in any other police operations,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS