Two cases of indiscriminate firing involving police officers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were added to the “Ligtas Paskuhan 2017” tally of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The police officers face dismissal from the service for the offense.
According to the PNP’s monitoring from Dec. 16 to 27, there were 14 cases of indiscriminate firing: seven in the National Capital Region; two each in Central Luzon and the Central Visayas; and a case each in the Ilocos region, the Bicol region, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Nine persons, including two police officers, a security guard and a barangay official, were arrested for firing their guns indiscriminately.
Seven other persons, including a police officers and a former militia member, remain at large.
Supt. Vimellee Madrid, PNP deputy spokesperson, identified the two arrested police officers as PO1 Arnold Gabriel Sabillo of the Montalban Municipal Police Station and PO1 Marbin Jay Pagulayan of the Malate Police Station of the Manila Police District.
Borth are pre-charge investigation by the PNP Internal Affairs Service.
She pointed out that they could face summary dismissal proceedings for indiscriminate firing.
Sabillo was arrested on Sgt. De Leon Street in Barangay Santolan in Pasig City at around 1 p,m. on Dec. 24 after he allegedly fired his 9-mm pistol several times for no reason.
Pagulayan was arrested at around 2 a.m. on Christmas Day after firing his 9-mm pistol to pacify his squabbling drinking buddies.
Meanwhile, the PNP made arrests in two other cases of indiscriminate firing on Christmas Day.
Security guard Ricardo Calimlim Paed, 40, of the Platemail security agency was nabbed at around 6 p.m. when he allegedly fired his .38-caliber revolver while drunk at his designated post at the Supereleven Building in Barangay Immaculate Conception in Quezon City.
John Crispino was arrested at around 2 p.m. by officers from the Raxabago station of the Manila Police District after he allegedly fired a 9-mm pistol while inside a restaurant on Ongpin Street in Binondo.
The PNP also reported the arrest of six persons for illegal possession, use or sale of firecrackers in the Ilocos region and the Central Visayas.
There were also 12 persons injured by firecrackers: six in Metro Manila; three in the Western Visayas; and one each in the Ilocos region, the Eastern Visayas, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. /atm