PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar PHOTO BY GRIG MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will not drop its investigation into the shooting of a young man with special needs who was allegedly shot and killed by police officers in Valenzuela City, adding that it’s ready to file charges against involved policemen if found liable.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar gave this commitment after the family of slain Edward Anigo requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a probe on the incident on Monday.
“We respect their choice of a National Bureau of Investigation probe and we want to assure our full cooperation with the investigation,” said Eleazar in a statement.
Eleazar, however, vowed that even if the NBI conducts an investigation, the PNP will still pursue its own probe of the incident, explaining that the police force’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is expected to start a “motu proprio,” or automatic investigation whenever anyone dies in a police operation.
“Tinitiyak ko na sa oras na may makita ang IAS na paglabag ng ating mga pulis Valenzuela sa police operating procedures, hindi po natin sila kukunsintihin at agad sasampahan ng kasong administratibo,” said Eleazar.
(I assure you that as soon as the IAS finds that our Valenzuela police have violated police operating procedures, we will not tolerate them and will immediately file administrative charges.)
“Nakahanda tayo na sila’y panagutin sakaling lumabas sa imbestigasyon ng IAS na may procedural lapses sa operasyon ng Valenzuela police,” he added.
(We are ready to hold them accountable in case the IAS investigation reveals procedural lapses in the Valenzuela police operation.)
He then called on witnesses to help in the investigation.
“Gusto ko po manawagan sa mga nakakita sa insidente na agad makipag-ugnayan sa mga otoridad para sa mabilis na resolusyon ng kasong ito,” he said.
(I would like to call on those who witnessed the incident to immediately contact the authorities for a quick resolution of this case.)
On Sunday, May 23, Anigo, an 18-year old boy with special needs was allegedly killed by local police during an illegal cockfighting raid in Barangay Lingunan, Valenzuela City.
The victim was shot after supposedly trying to resist arrest by grabbing an officer’s gun.
Police officers involved in Arnigo’s case are currently under restrictive custody, in accordance with the police’s standard operating procedure.