Dismissed cop in viral road rage has record of cases, other altercations

MANILA, Philippines – From 1990 to 2016, dismissed cop Wilfredo Gonzales, who was tagged in the viral road rage incident, was embroiled in various controversies and altercations prior to his most recent controversy.

He faced legal cases over robbery, frustrated homicide, grave threat, and grave coercion, among others, before his dismissal, the authorities revealed on Tuesday, September 5, during a hearing of Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

Gonzales’ village in Anonas, Quezon City, Barangay Quirino 3-A, also reported that the former cop was also involved in three more incidents between 2021 and 2022. In total, he was named in 10 blotter reports, according to Senator JV Ejercito.

According to the record of cases read during the hearing, Gonzales was involved in physical and verbal harassment in their village over a parking in 2022: “Pagdating sa harap, pinuntahan daw po siya ni Sir Wilfredo Gonzales at pinalipat niya ‘yong motor. Humingi naman siya ng pasensya [complainant], bigla na lang daw siyang sinakal pati rin po ‘yong anak niya na kasama.

(Wilfredo Gonzales told his neighbor to move the motorcycle to another place. The complainant said he apologized, but the former cop choked him and his child).”

In another instance in 2021, Gonzales was reported to have threatened the person in charge of monitoring their barangay closed circuit televisions. 

In August, Gonzales was caught on camera striking cyclist Allan Bandiola and pulling out a gun. The video went viral on the internet and the dismissed cop received backlash over the incident.

Gonzales now faces an alarm and scandal complaint and his employment was terminated by the Supreme Court. The viral incident also caused the resignation and replacement of former Quezon City Police District Nicolas Torre III, who organized the press conference where Gonzales first appeared following the road rage altercation.

Cyclist’s explanation

Bandiola, on his first appearance since the incident, maintained that he did not start the quarrel. 

“‘Pag hindi ko tinapik ‘yong kotse niya, either matumba ako sa kotse niya o mabagsakan ko ‘yong mga pasahero na nag-aabang ng sasakyan (If I didn’t tap his car, I would have either fallen on his car or the pedestrians waiting for a ride),” said Bandiola on what Gonzales claimed began the whole exchange. 

Gonzales, who was repeatedly warned by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa of contempt during the hearing, maintained his position that Bandiola’s motorcycle gloves caused the “car dents” despite the viral footage showing the cyclist with bare hands. Authorities denied that there were car dents on Goznales’ car, but said they found scratches on the vehicle’s left side, opposite where Bandiola was cycling. 

Dela Rosa also asked the responding cops to report to the committee after Bandiola revealed that Gonzales was not arrested for gun-toting because they allegedly found no gun on the scene. Even though a security guard and another cyclist witnessed Gonzales pulling a gun, the cops failed to interview any of the passing bystanders. 

“Sabi po ng guwardya, ‘Wag ka na sumagot kasi may baril‘ (The security guard, who witnessed the incident, told me to not to respond because Gonzales had a gun),” Bandiola recalled. 

The cyclist, during the hearing, also underscored the importance of the strict implementation of bike lanes. “Siguro po lagyan nila ng pangil ‘yong bike lane. Dapat respetuhin nila ‘yan (They should vigorously implement our rules on bike lanes. People should respect that).” – With reports from Rachel Ivy Reyes/ Rappler.com

Rachel Ivy Reyes, a Rappler intern, is a Communication student from UP Baguio. This article was reviewed by a Rappler reporter and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s internship program here.