QC cop charged for shooting man on Jan. 1

By: Jeannette I. Andrade - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has filed a case of reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injury against a policeman who allegedly fired at a group of fleeing teenagers and accidentally hit a motorcycle driver on New Year’s Day.

Chief Inquest Prosecutor Rogelio Velasco approved the filing of the charge in court against PO3 Arnold Sagun, assigned with the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Kamuning station, on the recommendation of Assistant City Prosecutor Don Ace Mariano Alagar who conducted the inquest proceedings. The case was raffled off to the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 37.

Alagar earlier set for further investigation the frustrated murder complaint against the policeman. He later amended the charge to simple reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injury.

Sagun was arrested by his QCPD colleagues after he was tagged in the shooting of Alex Romarico Chiong Jr., a resident of Towerville Homes, Interville-II Subdivision, in Barangay (village) Culiat, Tandang Sora.

Chiong was riding his motorcycle home from watching a fireworks display when he was hit in the chest by a bullet allegedly from Sagun’s gun. The victim is still undergoing treatment at Metro North Medical Center and Hospital.

The shooting happened around 1 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the gate of the subdivision. Sagun was then chasing a group of teenagers who allegedly attacked his relatives outside their house on Canada Drive in Sanville Subdivision, Barangay Culiat.

He fired upon the group, hitting Chiong who just happened to be passing by the area.

While detained at the QCPD’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit holding cell, Sagun was also served with an arrest warrant for the attempted murder of a retired policeman in September 2011.

The arrest warrant was issued in April last year by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 223 after the policeman was accused of firing at SPO2 Jose Oliva, then his former colleague at the QCPD Batasan Hills station.

Sagun posted on Friday bail of P120,000 for his provisional liberty in connection with the Oliva case. He remains in jail for the indiscriminate firing complaint.

Chief Supt. Richard Albano, QCPD director, earlier vowed to slap Sagun with the “full force” of administrative sanctions which could lead to his dismissal from the service.