MANILA, Philippines -
Because the escorts didn’t have wang-wang (sirens), a Quezon City policeman refused to give way to President Aquino’s convoy yesterday morning. He was consequently relieved from his post.
Reports said Senior Police Officer 2 Ricardo Pascua, 52, even arrogantly introduced himself as a policeman and refused to surrender his driver’s license when confronted by a member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) following the incident in Quezon City.
Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Mario de la Vega said Pascua also “accosted” the same presidential escort, who was identified as Senior Police Officer 2 Randy Torres, as he thought his line was being cut.
It was then he realized that the convoy he had refused to give way to was that of the President.
“I didn’t know. There were no sirens,” Pascua told reporters at Camp Karingal where he was brought to face summary dismissal proceedings for the incident.
De la Vega has ordered the relief of the erring policeman.
“I ordered his relief from his post to pave the way for the speedy investigation regarding the incident,” he said.
De la Vega said Pascua refused to give way to the presidential convoy even if motorcycle-riding guards kept on telling him to let them pass.What was worse was when the policeman was finally forced to stop his Mitsubishi Adventure – whose plate number was encased in black tint that could hardly be read, and was sporting a special “QCPD” plate in front – Pascua still wouldn’t budge.
“He refused to turn over his license because he said he is a policeman,” one of the Palace officers who was with the presidential convoy said. “He’s really rude. He did not give respect even to his fellow police officers.”
Pascua is an anti-drug operative assigned with the QCPD Station 4.
De la Vega said he received a call from PSG commander Brig. Gen. Ramon Mateo Dizon about the incident that happened along Commonwealth Avenue at past 9 a.m. yesterday.
Pascua’s superior, Station 4 commander Superintendent Crisostomo Mendoza, said Pascua thought his line was being cut, not aware that the convoy was ferrying the Chief Executive.
The policeman was driving a Mitsubishi Adventure (ZJK-679) and was reportedly on his way to work.
The President was on his way to the La Mesa Dam for an activity.
De la Vega said the convoy’s lead vehicles, including the motorcycle sweepers, had been clearing the road of other vehicles.
“He was being asked to make way. So he should have done so,” De la Vega said, noting that policemen are aware of what to do whenever they encounter the convoy of the President or VIPs.
“He should have observed protocol. If he is found to have committed any violations, appropriate administrative charges will be filed against him,” De la Vega said.
Pascua, meanwhile, said he was supposed to take a U-turn along Commonwealth Avenue.
“I didn’t do anything wrong so I was baffled why I was being asked to stop,” said Pascua, recounting his reaction when a sweeper overtook his vehicle and asked him to pull over at the corner of IBP Road and Commonwealth Avenue.
He claimed that he only noticed the sweeper and did not see the convoy behind him.
The PSG sweeper then told him that he had just blocked the presidential convoy that passed by.
At that point, Pascua, who was in civilian clothing, introduced himself as a policemen and apologized.
After the confrontation, he was brought to the QCPD Station 6.
“I’m asking for forgiveness. I didn’t know that the President was behind me. I had no ill intentions,” he stressed.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda confirmed that the incident took place.
“I think that’s somewhere in the House of Representatives area and the policeman was quite arrogant in insisting that he be allowed to do a U-turn, whereas the convoy was already going straight,” he told reporters in a briefing.
“We understand that he even showed the badge to the motorcycle cops who were escorting the convoy. What we understood was that he was brought to the police station, to the jurisdiction of the QCPD and he was turned over to them,” Lacierda said.
As to the administrative sanctions, the spokesman said it was up to the QCPD leadership to decide.
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We have no information until just now that he was already sacked by the Quezon City police. We just turned him over to the Quezon City police,” he said.
Lacierda added that Pascua’s relief was an administrative decision by the Quezon City police department.
“What I know is that we are just going to file a report. Again, we leave the administrative supervision of that policeman to the Quezon City police department,” he said. –
Delon Porcalla