The Southern Police District (SPD) on Friday disputed claims by Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno that police failed to serve an outstanding warrant against William Maik De Guzman, the suspect in the deadly March 4 shooting at Azure Urban Resort Residences in Parañaque.
Police, however, have yet to present official documentation to support their account.
Diokno earlier delivered a privilege speech calling for a congressional probe into gaps in the Philippine National Police’s warrant enforcement procedures, saying De Guzman’s prior homicide conviction had not resulted in his incarceration.
The SPD Public Information Office said operatives from the Parañaque City Police Station attempted to serve a 2023 arrest warrant issued by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 153 for De Guzman’s earlier homicide conviction.
“As per the warrant and subpoena section of the Parañaque City Police Station, they served the warrant against the suspect in March 2024,” the SPD PIO said.
“But the guard said Mr. De Guzman no longer returned there, so the warrant was returned to RTC Branch 153 of Taguig City.”
Police did not provide specific dates, official records, or further operational details.
Diokno also criticized the police’s initial refusal to publicly identify De Guzman during the manhunt, which authorities justified by citing the Data Privacy Act.
“Mr. Speaker, this justification is incorrect,” Diokno said in his privilege speech. “Section 4 of the Data Privacy Act explicitly states that information necessary to carry out the functions of public authority, including law enforcement, is not covered by the Data Privacy law and may therefore be publicly disclosed.”
The shooting occurred on the evening of March 4, 2026, when De Guzman allegedly opened fire with a 9mm pistol at a group of residents at the Azure basketball court. Two people were killed and four others wounded. The suspect later told authorities he was annoyed by the victims’ noise and drinking.
De Guzman fled the scene and evaded capture for two days before being arrested on March 6 at another condominium complex in Barangay Moonwalk, Parañaque.
The case has also drawn scrutiny on the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO). Despite a 2023 homicide conviction and an outstanding warrant, De Guzman was a licensed firearm holder at the time of the shooting — a status the SPD said it only learned of after the attack.
Under Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, a criminal conviction disqualifies a person from owning or possessing a firearm.
The PNP has since launched an investigation into the FEO to determine how De Guzman retained a valid License to Own and Possess Firearms and why his 2023 conviction did not trigger the automatic revocation of his license.
