A private lawyer has filed a case with the Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) against a gun-toting former policeman and two others who figured in a viral video that happened new the Quezon City Rotonda last August 8.
Lawyer Raymund Fortun filed charges against police SSgt. Darwin Peralta, SSgt. Joel Aviso, and Pvte. Armando Carr, all from the QCPD Traffic Sector 4 of Kamuning.
Fortun lodged the complaints of oppression, irregularities in the performance of duties, and incompetence under a National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) circular.
It appears that a cyclist and ex-policeman Wilfredo Gonzales were first brought to the QCPD Kamuning Police Station 11, since this was first considered a mere traffic incident by the first responders of QCPD Galas Police Station. Eventually, no charges were filed and the parties were instead referred to the Galas Police Station late in the evening.
“Despite the clear and imbalanced status of the parties, the same police officers failed to protect the rights of the cyclist when they failed to provide a legal counsel for him so that the latter would be duly appraised of his rights. Further, they failed to secure the CCTV footages in the area in order to ferret out the real facts in the conflicting statements made by the parties. Finally, and for reasons known only to them, and despite there being sufficient basis to do so, the same police officers failed to file the appropriate charges,” Fortun explained.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte lauded Fortun’s move. “What we need now are little acts of heroism from ordinary Filipinos to stand up for what is right to exact accountability from those in power. This move of Atty. Fortun in filing a case with our PLEB is a vote of confidence that here in Quezon City, we will get things done. The proper process in the proper forum, which is the PLEB, will now take its course, Belmonte,” said.
“This incident also highlights the need to institutionalize the presence of PLEB in other cities and municipalities to hear and decide the complaints filed against erring policemen. I am confident that the case filed in the PLEB will be handled without fear or favor,” Belmonte added.
Meanwhile, PLEB chairman and executive officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan said, the institutions, particularly the PLEB, “are in place so that the community will feel safe and secure in their homes. We commit to serve as an effective watchdog against abusive cops, and at the same time serve as partners to our men in uniform towards nation-building.”
“As far as the case filed by Atty. Fortun is concerned, we promise to act on this case with absolute dispatch,” Calinisan noted.
The PLEB can summarily dismiss, demote, suspend and reprimand abusive policemen.