Too dangerous to be on the road

So, let’s talk about the second road rage incident that likewise went viral. Here we have a motorcycle rider supposedly sideswiping a vehicle. Both drivers get into a heated argument with the rider giving the other driver the finger. When the rider stopped in front of the vehicle, the driver of the car confronted him. This is where he noticed a gun tucked in the rider’s waist. He identified himself as a policeman, took the gun, and subdued the rider. After this, Police Staff Sergeant Marsan Dolipas brought Angelito Rencio to the Makati City Police Substation 3 for assistance. This is where it gets interesting, again.

Rencio identified himself as an Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). What is strange is Rencio was allowed to go home to get his documents, I assume for the gun and identification with regards to him being a member of the AFP. Why was he allowed to leave the station? If a driver is caught driving a vehicle without a license on him, can he be allowed by the police to go home and get it? Ridiculous. Because of this, the station’s desk officer and substation commander were relieved from their posts. Is this the quality of police officers we have? What is going on with the PNP under this administration?

Rencio did not immediately return, only surrendering last Thursday. He now faces multiple charges. The AFP has no record of him anywhere. He faces charges of violating the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and, Resistance and Disobedience to a Person in Authority aside from falsification of public documents. Dolipas will face administrative charges.

In this incident, it is the civilian who seems at fault. And because the person he argued with is a police officer, he did not expect to be subdued and eventually face a multitude of charges. He believed the gun he carried allowed him to argue with anyone on the road and feel invincible. I don’t know what he was thinking when he introduced himself as a member of the AFP when it was clearly untrue. Some people are just too stupid and dangerous to be on the road.

This definitely will not be the last road rage incident. There are hotheads and entitled gun-carrying morons on the roads. Those who are law-abiding and unarmed are at a disadvantage. The best advice is to ignore the hotheads and refrain from engaging them. Heaven, forbid you encounter one who is quick to pull out a gun and fire it. We currently have a gun ban in effect so that should make the roads a little safer. But I believe there should be harsher laws and punishment for those who brandish or pull out a gun unnecessarily, such as the Gonzales incident.