A COP was charged with murder for shooting down a man following an altercation in a bar in Novaliches, Quezon City.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Brigadier General Red Maranan identified the suspect as Patrolman Edwin Rivera, 26, who is assigned with the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the National Capital Region Police Office.
“Sa kasalukuyan ay nakakulong ang suspect at sinampahan na ng kasong murder at illegal possession of firearms in relation to Omnibus Election Code for Gun ban. Kasama sa sinampahan ng kaso ang dalawang kasama ng pulis na Sina Joshua Balisalin at isang John doe na ngaun ay patuloy na pinaghahanap ng ating kapulisan,” he said.
(The suspect is currently in jail and has been charged with murder and illegal possession of firearms in relation to the Omnibus Election Code for Gun ban. Among those charged with the case are two fellow policemen, Joshua Balisalin and a John doe who are still wanted by our police.)
“Hindi namin kukunsintihin ang mga ganitong maling gawain ng pulis lalo na dito sa Quezon City. Mananatili kami sa tapat na pagtupad ng aming tungkulin na paglingkuran ang mga mamamayan,” he added.
(We will not tolerate such wrongdoings by the police especially here in Quezon City. We will remain faithfully fulfilling our duty to serve the citizens.)
In a report, the police said the incident happened around 4:45 a.m. of October 3 where Rivera was involved in an altercation with the victim, Chrismel Serioso, at Spotlight Beer Bar and Cocktail Lounge in Barangay Novaliches Proper.
Major Don Don Llapitan, chief of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the incident happened after Serioso allegedly offered Rivera illegal drugs.
“Kung ako ay isang police officer as long as hindi ako anti-drug operator, hindi pwedeng ikaw mismo ang manghuhuli diyan. Pwede kang tumawag ng backup o sa pinakamalapit na station anti-illegal drugs sa area,” he said.
(If I'm a police officer as long as I'm not an anti-drug operator, you can't catch that yourself. You can call backup or the nearest anti-illegal drugs station in the area.)
No illegal drugs or weapons were recovered from the victim. (SunStar Philippines)