Navotas cop faces axe, raps for firing guns

A Navotas City policeman who fired on a group of men, leaving seven of them wounded, on Christmas Eve may be dismissed from the service and charged administratively.

The shooting happened just days after the Philippine National Police said it would not tape shut the muzzles of its men’s firearms for the second year in a row, saying it wanted to prove they were responsible enough.

According to a National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) report, PO1 Danilo Tiempo of the Navotas City Police Station fired at several people who were playing cara y cruz on Kawal Street at Barangay 28 in Caloocan City around 11 p.m. on Dec. 24.

Seven of them were wounded as a result.

They were identified as Anthony Claid Solero, 29; Oliver Panican, 32; Marvin Borres, 40;  Jayrold Balais, 28; Wilmer Cabulao, 36; Joel Ramos; 37; and a 16-year-old boy.

“[A criminal case of] either multiple frustrated murder or homicide [will be filed against Tiempo], depending on the evaluation of the investigators. He will also be subjected to an administrative case for grave misconduct,” NCRPO) chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar, said on Tuesday.

Victims’ condition stable

The victims were taken to Caloocan City Medical Center, except for Ramos who was brought to Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center. All were reported to be in stable condition, the police said.

Tiempo fled after the shooting but he surrendered on Christmas morning at the police station where he was assigned.

He told Eleazar and Caloocan police chief, Senior Supt. Restituto Arcangel, that he fired only in self-defense, saying that he was in his house in Muñoz on Christmas Eve when he heard his father had been mauled by a group led by Balais.

According to the police, Tiempo’s father, who was not named, was playing cara y cruz with the victims when they started fighting.

Tiempo said that he rushed to Caloocan City to check on his father.

Carrying a 9-mm pistol and a .45-caliber pistol, he claimed he was forced to fire at the victims when they ganged up on him after he confronted them.

He was relieved from his post as the police started investigating the incident — the first reported case of indiscriminate firing during the holiday season involving a Metro-based policeman.

Earlier, the NCRPO launched an intensified campaign against loose firearms to curb such incidents.

Preventive program scrapped

For the second year in a row, the PNP did not tape shut the muzzles of policemen’s guns to prevent cases of indiscriminate firing among their ranks, a program initiated by former PNP Director General Edgar Aglipay.

Ironically, PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier said that he scrapped the program “to prove that police personnel [were] responsible enough” and to restore public trust in policemen.