ANGELES City Mayor Carmelo "Pogi" Lazatin Jr. has ordered the relief of all personnel from the City Police Office Station 5 in Angeles City, Pampanga in relation to a prank video posted on social media.
Shown in the video were alleged uniformed police officers of Station 5 arresting an individual using an official vehicle from the Philippine National Police (PNP). The uniformed personnel participating were also heard identifying themselves as being from Police Station 5.
They later revealed in the video that the arrest was a prank in observance of April Fool's Day.
The video gained over 1 million views; 17,000 reactions; and 6,100 comments, as of press time.
The prank video was posted on the social media page SY Music Entertainment on April 2.
In his Memorandum No.621 Series of 2021, Lazatin ordered Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) City Director Police Colonel Rommel Batangan to relieve all personnel from PNP Station 5 effective immediately and to conduct an investigation on all PNP personnel involved in the alleged "pranking incident" and file administration charges and violation of quarantine protocols, including not wearing of face masks, non-observance of social distancing protocols, and violation of the prohibition of mass gatherings.
“These actions are disadvantageous to the best interest of the government as it not only makes use of government property for a senseless ‘prank’ but also undermines the efforts of the entire local government unit to implement public health protocols," Lazatin said in his memorandum.
"This is not the kind of conduct that the public expects from their police officers,” it added.
Lazatin also released Memorandum No.622 Series of 2021, still addressed to Batangan to investigate all individuals involved in carrying out the said prank, including civilians.
In a related development, Lazatin also ordered Business Permit and Licensing Division head Evangeline Malonzo to close down SY Music Entertainment and suspend their permit to operate due to the following violations: not wearing of face masks; non-observance of social distancing protocols; and violation of the prohibition on mass gatherings, through his released Memorandum No. 623.
“Ngayong panahon ng pandemya, mas dapat nating unahin ang disiplina at malasakit sa kapwa sa pamamagitan ng pagsunod sa mga ipinapatupad na regulasyon ng pamahalaan. Hindi ito ang panahon para pairalin ang kayabangan, o katigasan ng ulo,” Lazatin said.