PNP relieves 3 cops caught on video beating up man in Tarlac

PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police said it will investigate possible administrative liabilities of three police officers caught on video beating up a man in Tarlac.

Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP spokesman, also said the three police officers from Paniqui, Tarlac, identified as Police Officer 3 Ritchel Antonio, Police Officer 3 Fernando Acosta, and Police Officer 2 Gerardo Bermudez, have been relieved of duty and were ordered to report to the office of Tarlac provincial director, Senior Superintendent Alfred Corpuz.

The 39-second video that went viral on the Internet showed the three police officers confronting a man wearing an orange shirt in a public place.

One of the police officers kicked the man in the chest, while the other punched him until he lost his balance and hit the ground.

While the man was already in a sitting position, one of the officers did not stop punching him and the last seconds of the video went blank, but voices pleading the officers to stop can be heard in the audio.

However, after an investigation on the incident, Cerbo said they found out that the officers only responded to an assault complaint against the man.

“Hindi lang malinaw na naipakita [sa video] . . . pero before nakuhanan nakikipag away daw ang suspect at nakikipag suntukan din,” Cerbo said.

(It wasn’t shown in the video but earlier the man was involved in a street brawl.)

He added that PO3 Antonio, one of the involved officers, claimed that he was also hurt in the incident. He was said to have submitted a medical certificate to back his claim.

Cerbo said the officers also charged the man with direct assault and physical injuries.

Cerbo said the case will be thoroughly investigated as he stressed that the officers would be punished if they would be found to have committed abuse.

Citing the police operational procedure, Cerbo said police officers are allowed to use physical strength in order to restraint a suspect.

Meanwhile, the video that is going around social networking site Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=131822700338404), has generated 2,284 likes and has been shared 11,543 times.