Tom cites 'lack of training' of cop handling the incident

Be a little "forgiving" in treating the issue of the policeman who allegedly committed an "overkill" in subduing by shooting to death an unidentified man who went berserk with a knife in hand at the gate of Camp Lapu-Lapu in Lahug last Wednesday.

This was what Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday asked the public to do, saying the act of the policeman could be attributed to his supposed "lack of training" in handling such an incident.

"I'm not saying we should accept what he did and that it was acceptable and okay. It's not. But be a little forgiving. He was not trained extensively how to handle that," Osmeña told reporters in his press conference yesterday.

The Commission on Human Rights will investigate the incident involving PO3 Romeo Cubo who shot the man several times when the latter allegedly attacked him with a knife at the gate of the Armed Forces Central Command headquarters.

CHR will ascertain if Cubo acted either within the bounds of the law or with the use of excessive force in containing the man attacking him.

Police accounts said the man raised both his hands, saying bullets could not hurt him. But when he charged at Cubo, the policeman fired at the man's left leg and later the stomach.

The man was brought to the hospital in handcuffs with doctors counting six gunshot wounds. He died 40 minutes later.

But Osmeña attributed the policeman's reaction to a "lack of training" on handling such incident, adding that Cubo should not be faulted for what he did.

The mayor said the outcome could have been different if it involved a "really educated" and well-trained member of the police force, such as the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau head Paul Labra or City Police director Melvin Gayotin.

Cubo should be given the benefit of the doubt, Osmeña said, adding that the blame should be leveled against the national government for not putting policemen to intensive training for this type of situation.

"We cannot apply the same standards when the national government does not even train them," he said. - Joeberth M. Ocao