THE MOTHER of the 23-year-old rookie policeman who was arrested on Sunday afternoon after running amok inside the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters blamed his colleagues for the incident, saying her son was a victim of bullying.
In fact, Sally—mother of PO1 Vincent Paul Solares—had made an appointment with a psychiatrist after she noticed the changes in his behavior.
“He used to be a cheerful boy. But now, he’s always angry or sad,” she told the Inquirer on Monday.
She added that she consulted on Saturday a psychiatrist who told her to send Solares to him on Monday.
“But then, this happened,” Sally said, referring to Sunday’s incident at the MPD headquarters in which Solares went amuck, smashing picture frames before shooting at policemen. He eventually surrendered when he was cornered by a SWAT team.
“That’s why I’m asking investigators to please subject him to a neuropsychological test so we can give him the right treatment before his condition worsens,” she added.
According to her, her son was bullied by fellow policemen whom she declined to identify. She added Solares would just cry over his situation although he refused to talk to her about it.
“All I know is that they have been calling my son sipsip (bootlicker) for doing his job like arresting suspects. They bullied him a lot,” Sally told the Inquirer.
She said that her son was also affected by the stress which came with his work.
A test showed that Solares was negative for illegal drug use. On Monday, the MPD charged him in the Manila Prosecutor’s Office with malicious mischief, alarm and scandal, grave threats and physical injuries.
Before his “breakdown” at the MPD headquarters, Solares was assigned to the Meisic police station, his third within a span of two months.
Before that, he was stationed at the Blumentritt police precinct, followed by the Plaza Miranda police precinct—both under the Sta. Cruz police station.
“He’s an industrious policeman. I know because I worked with him. I never thought this would happen,” said PO1 Erick Orio of the Blumentritt police precinct. With Faye Orellana