PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar on Monday, October 11, 2021, assured that disciplinary and corrective measures will be taken following the car chase between the police and actor Jake Cuenca, which resulted in the stray shooting of a Grab driver.
Eleazar apologized to the Grab driver and assured that the PNP will take care of his medical expenses and extend financial assistance to cover his recovery period.
The police officers involved in the incident have been placed under restrictive custody pending the result of the investigation, he said.
At the same time, he lambasted Cuenca for being “reckless.”
“Being an actor and a public figure, he must set a good example for people who idolize him by owning up to his mistake and facing its consequences,” Eleazar said.
“Sa iyong ginawa, titiyakin ko na mananagot ka sa pambabastos mo hindi lang sa mga pulis kundi sa batas, at sa kawalan mo ng disiplina sa sarili,” he added.
(I will make sure that you will answer for your lack of respect for the police and the law, and for your lack of self-discipline.)
Police said personnel of the Station Drug Enforcement Unit of the Mandaluyong City Police were about to leave Barangay Barangka in Mandaluyong City Sunday, October 10, when their car was hit by a vehicle driven by Cuenca. The vehicle also rammed a barrier in the area.
Instead of stopping and going out of the car, Cuenca sped off. The police gave chase and shot at the tires of Cuenca’s car in a bid to stop it.
A Grab driver was hit by a stray bullet. He was taken to the nearest hospital and is now recuperating.
“Now, I understand the negative sentiments of our kababayan on this issue but let us not forget why this incident happened in the first place: May isang motorista na imbes na humingi ng paumanhin at panagutan ang kanyang pagkakamali ay gumawa ng eksenang pang-teleserye at pampelikula,” Eleazar said. (SunStar Philippines from PR)