Eastern Police District director Brig. General Christopher Tambungan was relieved from his post for allegedly assaulting a female police officer last month.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar ordered the administrative relief of Tambungan, based on the complaint filed by police corporal April Santiago.
Eleazar said Tambungan hit Santiago in the head and deliberately opened his car door to hit the lady cop because Santiago failed to help him in a task.
The report said Tambungan also committed verbal abuse on Santiago, who is assigned at the Greenhills Police Community Precinct (PCP-1) of the San Juan City Police Station.
“Allegedly, Brig. Gen Tambungan confronted PCpl Santiago because she couldn’t help him in a task given [to] her. Thereafter, he physically assaulted PCpl Santiago, hitting her on the head and later swinging his car door to hit her, while hurling verbal abuse at her,” the NCRPO chief said.
Eleazar showed a copy of the CCTV footage of the incident, which happened in front of the Greenhills PCP May 12.
“The report of this incident reached my office only June 19 because Cpl. Santiago hesitated to file a complaint due to her fear that she might be the one to get reprimanded,” he said.
“Based on Santiago’s complaint, I made a partial investigation of the matter and I have come to believe the allegations of Cpl Santiago. I further believe that the physical actuation of Gen. Tambungan, including his alleged verbal abuse upon his victim are unjustified and completely unbecoming of an officer of the PNP,” he said.
Col. Florendo Quebuyen, EPD deputy district director for administration, was designated as the officer-in-charge while Tambungan was reassigned to the office of Eleazar.
Tambungan has been serving as EPD director for three months prior to his relief.
Tambungan, a member of PNPA Class 1987 and former Manila Police District Deputy Director for Administration, replaced Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba, who was relieved from the post after a member of the EPD’s District Drug Enforcement Unit was arrested for robbery extortion in March.