Where’s the cop in Pasay resto shooting?

PO1 Ivan Ichiro Ramos, who joined the police force in 2014, is facing complaints for attempted homicide, slight physical injuries, grave threats and maltreatment over the Dec. 10 incident that was video-recorded inside a Pasay City restaurant. —Photos courtesy of the Pasay police

PO1 Ivan Ichiro Ramos

The Parañaque City policeman facing investigation for firing his gun, making threats and assaulting fellow diners inside a Pasay City restaurant on Sunday did not report for duty for two straight days and could not be found when his colleagues went looking for him at his Cavite residence.

This was according to a superior of PO1 Ivan Ichiro Ramos, who is in hot water over the incident that was caught on camera and had drawn complaints from five people.

Facilitated by the Pasay police, complaints for attempted homicide, grave threats, slight physical injuries and maltreatment are expected to be filed against Ramos today in the city prosecutor’s office.

The complainants are all security personnel of a hotel-casino, including Junrey Gutierrez and Gilbert Ruiz who bore the brunt of Ramos’ actions inside Harlem Restaurant on Arnaiz Avenue, Barangay 40 in Pasay in the early morning of Dec. 10.

The five have submitted affidavits saying it was Ramos who fired at Ruiz and kicked Gutierrez, according to the case investigator, SPO2 Joel Landicho.

Their statements were also backed by closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage showing Ramos entering the restaurant at 3:13 a.m.

The video later showed Ramos coming out the toilet and approaching the complainants, who then shared a table, before hitting Ruiz in the chest. Ramos, who was in a black shirt, then threw a beer bottle at them.

(An earlier police account said he splashed the bottle’s contents on the group and that he approached them after they exchanged dagger looks.)

When Ruiz tried to stop him, Ramos drew a gun and fired in the direction of the complainants, without hitting anyone.

Before leaving the restaurant, Ramos kicked Guitierrez in the chest and slapped another customer on his side.

The Pasay police later recovered the deformed slug of a .45-caliber round inside the restaurant.

Before turning to the complainants, an apparently drunk Ramos was seen having a heated argument with a female companion, Landicho said.

Ramos had gone absent without official leave for two days and last reported for work at Parañaque Police Community Precinct 4 on Tuesday, according to the city police chief, Senior Supt. Victor Rosete.

Rosete said he ordered a team to fetch Ramos at his house at Dasmariñas, Cavite, on Thursday but they failed to find him there.

Ramos, who joined the police force in 2014, is also facing charges for grave threats and serious resistance and disobedience to persons of authority in a court in Trece Martires, Cavite. The cases were filed in September.