Humingi ng paumanhin ang Quezon City Police District (QCPD) kaugnay ng viral video ng isang pulis na mapapanood na pinatigil ang mga dumadaang sasakyan sa Commonwealth westbound para makadaan ang umanoy isang “VIP” (very important person) na nasa kanyang sasakyan.
Ang video ay ibinahagi ni dating House Representative Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño sa social media app na X (dating Twitter) noong Huwebes, October 5, 2023.
Kinumpronta ng kumukuha ng video ang pulis na ipinatigil ang mga dumadaang sasakyan para i-clear ang daan.
Maririnig na tinanong ng nagbi-video kung ano ang nangyayari. Mahinahon namang sinabi ng pulis na dadaan umano si Vice President Sara Duterte at “saglit” lang.
Halatang hindi ito ikinatuwa ng kumukuha ng video at ipinakita ang maraming motorista — mga naka-motor at naka-kotse — na naghihintay habang nakatigil ang trapiko.
Ipinaalam din ng nagbi-video sa mga motorista na tatawid daw si VP Sara kaya ipinatigil ang daloy ng trapiko.
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[twitter:
Sinarado ang isa sa pinaka busy na kalsada sa bansa dahil tatawid ang isang ViP? Grabe naman yan.
— Teddy Casiño (@teddycasino) October 5, 2023
Sent to me by an ex-military man. pic.twitter.com/hybUl2vo9y
]
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QCPD REACTS
Kinilala ang sangkot na pulis bilang si PSgt. Pantallano.
Ayon sa QCPD, nagkaroon ng kalituhan at “lapse in judgment” sa panig ng pulis.
Humingi ng paumanhin si PLTCol May Genio, Station Commander ng Holy Spirit Police Station, kaugnay ng insidente.
Sabi nito, “[T]he said incident stemmed from a confusion and lapse in judgment of our police manning the traffic during that time.
“It appears that our policeman overreacted when he stopped the traffic for a few minutes because of misleading information he overheard.”
Ang pulis daw na nag-aayos ng trapiko “mistakenly heard the word VP hence, he decided to clear the traffic as a sign of courtesy and security, where in fact, based on records, VP Sara Duterte has no engagement in that particular area.”
Nakasaad din dito ang pahayag ni Pantallano na humihingi ng paumanhin: “Ako po ay humihingi ng paumanhin sa aking maling nagawa. Patawarin nyo po ako, at akala ko po talaga may dadaan na VIP.”
Dahil sa insidente, tinanggal na sa serbisyo si Pantallano.
Pahayag ni Genio, "I have ordered the relief of my policeman and put him under investigation to determine administrative liability for his actions. We assure the public that this incident will not happen again."
VP ISSUES STATEMENT
Nag-isyu rin ng official statement ang tanggapan ni Vice President Sara Duterte kaugnay ng isyu via Facebook.
Sabi nito: “The Office of the Vice President informs the public that Vice President Sara Duterte was not involved in the traffic disruption caused by the closure of a portion of Commonwealth Avenue by the Quezon City Police Office.
“The Vice President is in Mindanao for the World Teacher’s Day and other activities.
“The Vice President did not ask QCPD and will never ask government agencies, including law enforcement bodies, to carry out actions that would inconvenience the public or cause them harm.”
Tinawag din nito ang viral video na “injurious information that is grounded in falsity.”