Cop in viral NLEX road chase relieved

Philippine National Police (PNP) Civil Security Group (CSG) spokesperson Lt. Col. Eudisan Gultiano (PNA photo by Lloyd Caliwan)

MANILA – A police officer who figured in a viral incident at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) has been relieved of his post and may face administrative charges.

“The police officer was assigned to our satellite office in Fairview, Quezon City, under the RCSU-NCR (Regional Civil Security Unit – National Capital Region). Pending the administrative investigation, the concerned personnel (was) ordered to turn over his service firearm,” Philippine National Police (PNP) Civil Security Group (CSG) spokesperson Lt. Col. Eudisan Gultiano said in a media interview in Camp Crame Thursday,

Initial investigation showed that last Sept. 30, the Toyota Avanza being driven by the unnamed police officer was traversing Mindanao Avenue in Barangay Sauyo, Quezon City when it was accidentally hit by a closed van that tried to overtake.

The closed van’s driver did not stop and sped off, prompting the police officer to chase him.

The chase ended at the NLEX Mindanao Avenue toll plaza in Valenzuela City, where the police officer ordered the van driver to alight from the vehicle and subsequently arrested him.

According to the report from the Valenzuela City police, the policeman took the van driver to the nearest police station.

Gultiano said both the police and the truck driver denied that there had been a “shootout,” contrary to what was stated in the video posted on social media.

“As a general rule, police officers in civilian attire are not prohibited from effecting arrest for as long as in his presence, an offense or a crime has been committed. But again, we would like to clarify also based on the report, both parties confirmed that there was no shootout and actually, both parties came up with a settlement,” she added. (PNA)

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