AFTER the relief of all members of Angeles City Police Station 5, five Korean nationals are also facing charges for their involvement in the viral prank video that violated health protocols.
Police Regional Office-Central Luzon Director Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon identified four of the foreigners as Kang Min Ho, Sun Donho, Kim Jenseok, and Yan Jae Hyuk.
The identified foreign nationals were also seen in the viral video posted on the social media page of SY Music Entertainment that “showed an individual supposedly being apprehended by uniformed personnel using a PNP marked vehicle.”
Also shown in the video were alleged uniformed police officers of Station 5, who later revealed that the arrest was a prank in observance of April Fool's Day.
The video has gained over one million views, 17,000 reactions and 6,100 comments after its posting on April 2.
Charges for violation of health protocols, such as non-wearing of face masks and face shield and non-observance of social distancing are set to be filed against them, said De Leon.
"We are serious and stern in the implementation of IATF guidelines and we even risk our lives to contain the widespread of the virus and their acts are unacceptable," he said.
Earlier, Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. ordered the relief of all personnel from the City Police Office Station 5 in relation to the prank video.
In his Memorandum 621 Series of 2021, Lazatin ordered Angeles City Police Office (Acpo) 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 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 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. (With reports from Charlene Cayabyab)