MANILA, Philippines – A police personnel from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is now facing criminal and administrative charges for allegedly shooting a student in Quezon City while the cop was drunk. 

In a statement on Wednesday, February 23, the QC government confirmed the incident and said Police Corporal Reymark Rigor is facing frustrated murder complaint and violation of the Omnibus Election Code. The cop posted bail amounting to P200,000. 

The QCPD-District Internal Affairs Service also filed an administrative case of grave misconduct against the cop. Meanwhile, the cop was subjected to custodial investigation, and his firearm confiscated by the QCPD. 

A ballistic examination report done by the police’s Forensic Unit showed that the slug recovered from the victim matched the cop’s firearm. 

On Wednesday, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said she ordered the QC People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) to investigate the complaint filed by 22-year-old victim, Adrianne Dominique Cruz Castor. The victim also alleged that there was an attempted cover-up on the incident. 

“While I acknowledge that the QCPD is our partner in maintaining law and order, it must be clear that I have no tolerance for rotten policemen in Quezon City. I am ordering Atty. [Rafael] Calinisan of the PLEB to act on this matter with absolute dispatch,” Belmonte said. 

What happened 

According to the QC government, Rigor shot Castor while the victim was on his way home riding a Grab vehicle around Scout Rallos Extension. The incident was caught in a closed circuit television.

The victim said he and his driver saw a motorcycle rider fall down from his vehicle. Afterwards, the motorcycle rider, who turned out to be the accused cop, picked up a gun in the pavement and aimed at the victim’s direction. 

The victim left the vehicle and talked to drivers of other vehicles in the area. He told other drivers that the cop pointed a gun at them. 

While Castro was asking other drivers, he was allegedly shot by the cop. The victim was immediately brought to a hospital. According to the QC government, Rigor was intoxicated at that time after attending a birthday celebration. 

The victim also filed complaints against Police Staff Sergeant Bryan Busto and Police Corporal Jaypee Tordil who downplayed his complaint against Rigor. According to the victim, the police officers, who were initially gathering information on the incident, left the hospital without inquiring from the doctors. 

The police officers who attended to Rigor’s case also categorized it as physical injuries, instead of frustrated murder, according to the victim. 

The shooting incident involving Rigor was the latest incident of violence involving a drunk QC cop. Last year, drunk Police Master Sergeant Hensie Zinampan shot and killed 52-year-old Lilybeth Valdez in Quezon City. – With report from Dwight De Leon/ Rappler.com