Just one bad apple

Except for one Mandaluyong cop, the 17,000-strong Metro Manila police force heeded the call of superiors not to fire their guns indiscriminately to welcome the New Year.

Had PO3 Virgilio Bismonte, of the Mandaluyong City police Criminal Investigation Division, resisted the temptation in Makati City last Dec. 31, the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) could have a clean slate under "Oplan: Silent Gun," Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said.

Velasco and the commanders of the five police districts in Metro Manila conducted a simultaneous inspection of the taped muzzle of service firearms yesterday. Overall, they were impressed with the result of "Silent Gun."

"Our campaign to dissuade both our citizens and police from firing guns to welcome the New Year succeeded, and its success can be attributed to the fact that everybody did their share," he said.

Chief Superintendent Rolando Sacramento, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD), said all police stations under him reported no indiscriminate firing of guns.

"I personally checked the firearms of my SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) and DSAU (District Special Action Unit) and found the masking tape still intact," Sacramento said.

The four other police district chiefs reported that their men also complied with the policy of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. not to fire their guns indiscriminately during the revelry.

Bismonte, the lone bad apple, denied firing his gun.

In his report to Sacramento, the Mandaluyong cop said it was a friend of his cousin who fired his service firearm during the New Year celebration.

But his neighbors in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City positively pointed to him as the one who fired the gun.

Responding cops recovered four spent shells in the area. However, they clarified that no firearm was confiscated from Bismonte, who refused to issue any statement to police investigators.

Velasco directed Senior Superintendent Gil Meneses, the NCRPO intelligence chief, to gather witnesses against Bismonte, who was charged with alarm and scandal by the Makati City police.

While there was only one confirmed case of indiscriminate firing, three other policemen could be in hot water for shooting incidents in Manila.

Placed under investigation were SP01 Isagani Salvador, assigned to the Western Police District-Station 7 in Tondo, and SP01 Renato Yumang of the police community precinct (PCP) in San Nicolas, which is under WPD-Station 11. The third policeman, PO1 Reynaldo Lagmitan, 30, detailed at the Malabon police station and a resident of 1742 Biak na Bato street, Tondo, was also arrested.

The cases involved use of guns other than indiscriminate firing, including brandishing weapons in fits of anger. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe