Erring cop to face charges
A POLICEMAN who allegedly mauled a man inside a cockpit arena in Barangay Catalunan Grande, Talomo District is in hot water.
Police Regional Office 11 Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales has directed the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) to file administrative and criminal charges against Patrolman Jerry Gilvero Gumapac, 37, married, a resident of Sitio Toril, Catalunan Grande who is assigned at the Toril Police Station.
“To be honest, it pains my heart hearing another shameful action of my man. I am filled with sadness for the rest of my men who are doing their jobs well,” the embarrassed police director said.
Initial investigation revealed that Gumapac mauled a man whom he accused of stealing his money at a cockpit arena.
At 1:54 p.m. on Saturday in Santa Martha, Catalunan Grande, Jake Fontillas Ajos, 27, and his younger brother Clint, 20, were betting in a cockfight game.
Gumapac accused Jake, a self-employed businessman from Goldland Subdivision Barangay Bago Gallera, Talomo District, of taking money from his left pocket. He immediately punched Jake in his face and different parts of his body.
After four punches, Jake stumbled to the ground. But the policeman continued to punch Jake.
When the policeman left, the victim immediately went to the nearest police outpost in the area.
Officers from Talomo Police Station later arrived and arrested their fellow law enforcer.
Gumapac, now detained at Talomo Police Station, will be facing a criminal case for slight physical injuries, aside from administrative case for misbehavior.
Morales reiterated that the police hierarchy is serious in its internal cleansing program.
Police officers are prohibited from going to any gambling establishment.
“We have been doing our best to regain the trust and confidence of the people,” Morales said. “Then someone just tarnished the image of the organization.”
Morales added: “We have been doing our best, always, to instill discipline among them. I am tough on all offenders and they should know that crime does not pay. So we will also do the same with our fellow police officers if we caught them committing serious crimes and offense.”
Morales said that all police officers who are facing administrative charges will undergo a 45-day training and re-orientation in the coming days.
Earlier this month, Police Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered that police officers with charges must undergo a Focused Reformation and Reorientation and Moral Enhancement for Police Officers in Line with Internal Cleansing Effort (FORM POLICE) program.
Although a 45-day training will not be enough to reform a person, Morales said it will somehow awaken and let those officers realize “that we do not need scalawags in the organization.”
“We can’t afford to have even one percent of the policemen here as bad cops,” Morales said. “They should be 100 percent good.”
The police regional director further encouraged the public to use the Police Hotline Numbers for a speedy police response to complaints and report on incidents involving police abuses in their areas.
“Every relevant information reported to us will be of great help to the police in responding, resolving, and preventing immediately any incident and security issues involving our brothers-at-arms,” Morales said.