3 cops relieved for not arresting "gun-firing" Reveler

ILOILO CITY ,Philippines  — Three policemen assigned at Jaro Police Station were booted out from post after their failure to arrest a man who allegedly indiscriminately fired his gun during the New Year eve celebration.

Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, Jr., police regional director, ordered the relief of PO3 Rico Alolor, duty investigator, and PO1s Valiant Chua and Eliseo Benliro, patrol team members.

They were subsequently reassigned to the headquarters of the 6th Regional Public Safety Battalion at Victorias City in Negros Occidental.

Querol said the three were administratively relieved while investigation is being conducted on their possible culpability after they failed to arrest a certain Ramon Espia, a seaman and resident of Dolmax Subdivision, Brgy. Camalig, Jaro.

The three responded to the area after a report of indiscriminate firing shortly after midnight of January 1. Espia allegedly admitted that he fired his gun to test its condition.

The policemen recovered three empty shells of .9mm caliber pistol and two of .45 caliber pistol in front of Espia’s house, but when they invited Espia for questioning, the latter refused. The three chose to return to the police station without Espia.

According to Sr. Insp. Joseph Euje Almaquer, Jaro Police station chief, the three told him that they did not arrest Espia because no gun was recovered from his possession. “They also claimed to have no personal knowledge on the incident. There was no witness to corroborate that Espia indeed fired his gun,” he added.

On Espia’s admission, however, it was not done under oath, Almaquer said, but Querol said the three should have invited Espia and do the questioning at the police station itself. “It constituted neglect on their part,” Querol added.