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Lacson wants BI to look into deportation of expat in Makati village scuffle

April 27, 2020 | 7:01pm

MANILA, Philippines — In the wake of an altercation that took place at a gated village in Makati, Sen. Panfilo Lacson is calling on the Bureau of Immigration to look into the possible deportation of the expat involved.

The attempted warrantless arrest of Dasmariñas Village resident Javier Parra, a foreign national, drew flack on social media after videos of the attempt began circulating, showing a cop dragging Parra to the ground with his wife pleading in the background.

In a statement sent to Philstar.com later that day, Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson said that Makati police are looking into filing charges against Parra, who they claim confronted and cursed at the police and the tanod before the incident.

Videos from Joint Task Force Covid Shield corroborate this, showing Parra berating the policeman and the barangay tanod in front of his house—an action Lacson, who once headed the national police, slammed as "arrogant."

“The Bureau of Immigration may have to look into the matter. If a deportation proceeding is in order, they should act swiftly and decisively,” Lacson said in a statement issued Monday afternoon.

READ: Alleged quarantine violation leads to altercation at gated Makati village

The same video from the task force caught the homeowner going onto the street as if to confront law enforcement personnel at the scene before he began hurling expletives at them.

'No right to berate a police officer'

"You are shouting at me. You don't need to shout at me," the police man tells Parra in the video.

Parra even turns on his wife who attempts to hold him back later on, telling her, "Can you get out of here please? Go take care of the kids. Do it for me."

In the video, Parra also tells officer that he employs "80 Filipino employees fighting for their lives."

“This does not give the foreigner the right to confront and incessantly berate a police officer who is merely performing a risky duty in the manner that he did,” Lacson said.

Barangay Dasmariñas, in a statement issued to residents, also said that Parra and his household started the altercation.

Later that day, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval told reporters, "The matter has been forwarded to our Intelligence Division for assessment and case build-up, to determine if there is an immigration violation following said incident."

Police Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, National Capital Region Police Office director, in a statement sent to Philstar.com Monday evening confirmed that police are already working with the Bureau of Immigration for "related charges."

According to Sinas, the video evidence and statement of the barangay tanod will be used in a complaint of "Disobedience, Assault of Person of Authority in Violation of City Ordinance of not Wearing Mask" against Parra.

"In line with the Extended Enhanced Community Quarantine, we have invigorated our efforts in its implementation and this does not exclude gated communities," his statement read.

"Be assured that Team NCRPO will continuously enforce the law without fear or favor irrespective of the social status of persons violating the law."

The incident comes just days after the shooting of retired Cpl. Winston Ragos, a former soldier who was shot dead by a Quezon City police officer last week in an encounter also prompted by an alleged quarantine violation.

Videos of the incident which have since circulated on social media showed that Ragos was fired at twice—with his back already turned and shoulders slumped by the time the second shot was fired.

Since the beginning of Luzon's lockdown, the national police has been thrust into the spotlight numerous times, with many on social media slamming their use of force to enforce quarantine procedures.

“During these trying times, the PNP has the unenviable task of implementing an Enhanced Community Quarantine, without fear or favor. For the most part, our policemen deserve kudos for doing their jobs,” Lacson said.

“Such is the case of police officers who arrested a foreigner in Makati City, after he challenged their authority with an arrogant and demeaning behavior. As if this were not enough, the police officers were subjected to unfair criticisms from netizens who saw the ‘edited’ version of the video,” he added.

“Arrogance has no place in our country—especially so in a situation where either all of us win, or all of us lose to the COVID-19 threat." — with reports from Kristine Joy Patag