Capture bad cops on video, NCRPO appeals

If you spot an errant policeman, make sure you capture his misdeeds on video.

The top official of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) urged the public Monday to videotape “misguided” police personnel, particularly those who fire their service firearms to celebrate the coming of the New Year.

“I will not hesitate to discharge from the service these nincompoops who pretend to be peace enforcers [and] yet act otherwise. They have no place in our organization,” NCRPO chief Director Alan Purisima said in a statement.

At the same time, he took to task three rookie policemen who were arrested after they were caught illegally discharging their firearms in Manila despite a strong reminder from the Philippine National Police (PNP) against indiscriminate firing.

Purisima said that these law enforcers “were not serving the people of Metro Manila, but creating fear in the community and endangering their lives.”

He encouraged complainants to come forward, present their evidence and file administrative cases against any policeman caught violating the law.

According to Purisima, the public can forward their footage of “bad eggs” in the PNP to his e-mail at [email protected].

For more information, they can also visit the NCRPO’s website (www.ncrpo.org).

“A reward is waiting [for] those who will help us remove from our ranks these erring police personnel,” Purisima said.

Based on reports sent to his office, the NCRPO chief identified the three policemen as Police Officers 1 Lloyd Fernandez, Raymund Pascua and Fulgencio Sideco.

Fernandez and Sideco are assigned at the NCRPO while Pascua is with the Crime Laboratory at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

Fernandez, a member of the Regional Public Safety Battalion, is accused of killing a man and wounding two others on Christmas Eve in Sampaloc, Manila.

According to Manila policemen who arrested Fernandez, he shot and killed Roberto Solis following an argument with the victim’s father who was drinking with other men on the street.

Fernandez took out his gun and shot the victim thrice after he exchanged words with Solis’ father and demanded that they move aside to make way for him and his motorcycle.

He then left but after a few minutes, he fired upon two other men identified as Jay Valenzuela, 40, and Richard Zapanta, 32. Both were wounded and rushed to a nearby hospital.

Valenzuela and Zapanta were also out drinking on the street when the policeman demanded that they move out of his way. When they refused, he shot them.

On the other hand, Sideco, who is assigned at the NCRPO Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, was arrested after he fired his gun when he gate-crashed a Christmas party.

Senior Police Officer 1 Jonathan Bautista of the Manila Police District’s General Assignment Section said that at around 9 p.m. on Christmas Day, the Reyes family was hosting a party at their house on Simoun Street in Tondo, Manila, when the policeman walked in.

He added that the Reyeses were surprised because none of them knew him. Even more alarming was the firearm tucked into the waistband of his pants.

“When he [Sideco] arrived, he ate some of our food and started muttering gibberish to himself. Our guests were frightened and started leaving but when we decided to flee, he started chasing after us and brandished his gun at us,” a witness told the police.

At one point, the policeman grabbed by the arm one of the hosts, a woman, told her she was beautiful and asked if she would sit with him.

The woman managed to free herself and run away after which she and the other guests saw Sideco take out his gun and fire two shots in the air.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Jack Puevas, a resident of Quirino Street in Tondo, Manila, was shot and wounded by Pascua on Christmas Day.

Pascua was drinking with other men, including Puevas, when a neighbor identified only as Mac-Mac arrived, blowing a horn, which irked Pascua.

The policeman then took out his 9 mm pistol, fired it into the air before he aimed it at Mac-Mac, resulting in a scuffle that ended when the gun went off and hit the victim.