Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Friday, September 1 lauded the Philippine National Police (PNP) for revoking the firearms permit of Wilfredo Gonzales, the dismissed policeman who was shown in a viral video carrying a handgun and threatening a cyclist in Quezon City.
Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa (Senate PRIB Photo)
Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, reiterated that Gonzales’ action is unacceptable in a civilized society.
“Hindi pupwede ‘yung gano’n. Gagamit ka kaagad ng baril. Hindi ‘yon karapat-dapat. Kahit na sabihin mo pantakot lang ‘yon, but still, napakalaki po ng impact no’n sa nakakita na bumunot ka ng baril, kumasa ka pa, kahit sabihin mo na ‘di mo tinutukan (That’s not acceptable. You can’t just use your gun. Even if you say you just want to intimidate, but still, that has a huge impact to anyone who sees you pulling out your gun even if you claim you didn’t train it on him),” Dela Rosa said.
The senator pointed out the issuance of a permit to carry firearms outside of residence is for one’s protection and should not be used to threaten or commit aggressive actions against anybody.
“So tama lang ‘yung ginawa ng PNP na tanggalan siya ng lisensya ng baril at saka lahat ng mga permit sa baril na binigay sa kanya ay tinanggal sa kanya (So the PNP did the right thing in revoking his gun license and all his permits to carry it has also been canceled),” he pointed out.
In a video posted on the Firearms and Explosive Office’s (FEO) Facebook page, FEO Chief Brig. Gen. Paul Kenneth Lucas said that PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda has ordered the FEO to immediately strip Gonzales of his License To Own and Possess Firearm (LTOPF), Firearm Registration (FR), and Permit To Carry Firearms Outside Residence (PTCFOR).
In the same video, Lucas also showed and identified the specific firearms that were seized from Gonzales including three .45-caliber handguns and one 9-millimeter pistol.
Authorities said Gonzales was dismissed from service in 2006 for being charged with an administrative case due to grave misconduct, simple misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer, but was reinstated after he appealed his case before the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) in 2012 with rank demotion as penalty.
In June 2018, the ex-cop was again dismissed due to oral defamation and gun-toting, according to Acorda.
Dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, will conduct its own investigation into the viral incident on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at 10 a.m.
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito echoed Dela Rosa’s opinion and also welcomed the PNP’s move to revoke Gonzales’ firearms as he reiterated his call for authorities to press charges of grave threats and alarm and scandal against him.
Ejercito, one of the senators who filed a resolution calling for a probe into the incident, said the Senate can subpoena the ex-cop if he refuses to appear during the hearing.
“He is the principal character in this case, so I think he should really appear. That would be a great help in aid of legislation. We need to consider if there is a need to impose stiffer penalties on road rage because it is becoming more frequent. It would be a huge help if he appears in the Senate probe,” Ejercito said in an online interview.
The senator said it is important to hear both sides of the story, but clearly, “we do not condone a culture of impunity.”
“At least the head of the QCPD (Quezon City Police District) has also resigned, because we saw the second video and you can really see that what Gonzales did to the biker was serious. Of course, we will side with the oppressed side,” he said.