CEBU CITY – Police in Central Visayas were reminded to always observe gun safety after a policeman in Asturias town, Cebu died in an accidental firing incident.
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The fatality was identified as Police Patrolman Emmanuel Giangan, who was assigned to the Tuburan Police Station in northern Cebu.
The accident happened in the policeman’s home in Barangay Owak around 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 21.
According to the police, Giangan was about to leave when his girlfriend hugged him and playfully asked him not to leave first.
The woman accidentally touched the policeman’s service firearm tucked in his waist.
When the policeman tried to remove his partner’s hand, the gun accidentally went off.
The policeman died with a bullet wound in the abdomen.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) chief Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said all station commanders in the region have been ordered to observe gun safety at all times.
Despite the incident, Pelare said there is no need for the policemen in the region to undergo refresher courses on safety gun-handling.
“They just have to remember the basics,” said Pelare.
Pelare said all policemen were properly trained on gun-handling before they were issued with firearms.
“We have regular gun-handling activities, training, seminars. They will not be deployed to the field without the necessary certificate that they are already proficient in handling their firearms,” Pelare said.
Pelare said the PRO-7 has already extended necessary assistance to the policeman’s family.