A police officer was charged with grave misconduct before the Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB), the QC Public Information Office (PIO) said on Thursday, April 7.
Police Staff Master Sgt. Chester Garchitorena was charged with grave misconduct based on the complaint filed by Florose Buenafe.
Garchitorena is assigned to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Camp Crame.
Buenafe claimed that on March 18, he and his friends were drinking on Haring Constantino St. when a sedan carrying Garchitorena’s associates arrived.
Garchitorena’s friends then started a scuffle while the policeman served as a lookout while onboard his parked vehicle.
When the brawl started, Garchitorena called the Barangay Public Safety Officers (BPSO) and walked with them to the place of the scuffle.
During the altercation, a member of the BPSO witnessed Garchitorena shoot Buenafe on his left leg.
Atty. Rafael Calinisan, PLEB executive officer, said they found probable cause against Garchitorena for using a gun during the melee while off-duty, a violation of the Commission on Elections’ gun ban.
The Omnibus Elections Code constitutes grave misconduct under Napolcom Memorandum Circular 2016 - 002.