Army authorities have ordered an investigation of the shooting death of a retired military personnel by a Quezon City police, which the PNP leadership immediately defended but condemned by other sectors.
Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay ordered the investigation after a policeman, identified as M/Sgt. Daniel Florendo Jr. shot Tuesday retired PFC Winston Ragos near a quarantine checkpoint along Maligaya Drive in Barangay Pasong Putik, Quezon City.
The Commission on Human Rights also stepped into the picture, noting that Ragos was a former soldier “who served heroically in Marawi and was said to be suffering from a mental condition because of fulfilling his duty.”
CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said: “We note that the leadership of the QCPD has already ordered a criminal and administrative investigation of the incident and, in a statement, said that what Florendo did was a judgment call.”
In a statement Thursday, the Philippine Army said the probe would be conducted by the Army Judge Advocate in coordination with the Philippine National Police to give justice to Ragos’ death.
The Army confirmed Ragos was diagnosed with a mental disorder. Earlier reports said Ragos› last assignment in the military was in Marawi.
But PNP chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa defended Florendo’s action, saying “When you are confronted with a person armed with a pistol, its equivalent is also a pistol,» Gamboa said on ANC, insisting the policeman involved was under threat by the suspect.
Gamboa said due to previous incidents in which policemen were confronted with armed suspects, he had instructed the police not to give suspects a chance to hurt them in any way.
At the same time, ACT Teachers Representative France Castro blasted the shooting of Ragos, saying “We condemn this new incident of human rights violations of citizens during this trying time of COVID-19.
“They did not just kill without reason and due process retired Col. Winston Ragos, they also brought terror and heavy-handed tactics to the people at the community in Pasong Putik, Quezon City,” said Castro.
Castro said law enforcement authorities were conveniently forgetting the PNP Operations Manual that forbade excessive use of force and to subdue suspects only where there was clear and imminent danger.
“Subdue” meaning keep under control or de-escalate and not automatically to shoot or kill, and “clear and imminent danger” meaning actual danger and not merely a threatening or intimidating action, she said.
“In January 2017, Ragos was given a complete disability discharge from his military service, complete with pension and other assistance, after being diagnosed with a mental disorder [PTSD],” the Army said.
“To a soldier, the wounds of war are not just physical but also mental and their scars are not always visible,” the Army added.
De Guia said: “We recognize that law enforcement officials are important in the protection of life, liberty, property, and the security of person—guaranteed rights as outlined in Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in our 1987 Constitution.”
“But there are also guidelines set on the use of force that law enforcers must strictly observe,” she added.
The CHR recognizes that the Quezon City Police District would look into the criminal and administrative culpability into the involvement of Florendo Jr.
“However, there are different accounts of what transpired, including clashing narratives on whether the victim had a pistol in his sling bag, which the police claims as a sign of imminent danger, thus resulting to the shooting,” she noted.
“The Commission on Human Rights is already investigating this matter,” she said.
She said law enforcers must always remain respectful of human rights «even in the face of a national health emergency,» she said.
“At this point, we look forward to QCPD’s fair and impartial investigations. And similar to cases of alleged ’self-defense’ when confronted with imminent danger, we also reiterate our call to allow the rule of law to prevail and let the scrutiny of the proper courts weigh in on the question if the circumstances are justifiable to warrant the shooting, which eventually resulted to a death,” she said.
Making light of the Duterte administration›s heavy reliance “on military solutions in a health crisis, a party-list legislator said, “men in uniform will not make the Covid-19 virus back away.”
Many indications of the absence of such a threat can be seen in the video, including the fact that the victim was raising his hands and his back was turned when the police shot him, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said.
In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque dismissed as «speculation» allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte›s remarks influenced Florendo to shoot Ragos.
Roque said there was no basis to link the incident to President Duterte›s previous remarks ordering police forces and the military to “shoot dead” those who would cause trouble during the coronavirus crisis if the lives of law enforcers are endangered.
“This has no relation whatsoever to anything that the President said. And the police officer did not say that he was following an order of the President. So let›s not give it interpretation if there›s no basis at all,” Roque said in a virtual press briefing.