PNP chief admits viral stuntmen caught on camera are cops
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has admitted that the two riders caught in a viral video doing dangerous motorcycle stunts along a national highway in Zambales were indeed members of its ranks.
In a statement, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Thursday the policemen were assigned at the Police Regional Office 3, adding that he has since ordered disciplinary proceedings to begin.
The two were identified as Police Chief Master Sergeant Israel Bondoc and Police Master Sergeant Manuel Tolentino. To recall, two policemen were shown in the video doing motorcycle stunts which some netizens described as irresponsible due to blatant violations on traffic rules and regulations on road safety.
The video has since gone viral on social media, with some users even tagging the personal page of Eleazar.
“Yesterday we issued an order to determine the identities of the two riders who appeared on a highway in Zambales. The two were immediately identified and we confirmed that they were indeed policemen,” Eleazar said.
Eleazar said that he has already instructed Police Brig. Gen. Val de Leon, the Director of Police Regional Office 3, along with the Highway Patrol Group to conduct a proper investigation as part of the disciplinary measures in the PNP.
Police Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, who heads the HPG, said earlier that the two were not HPG personnel, based on their investigation.
“These clowns are not HPG riders because they are not wearing our prescribed HPG rider’s high-visibility vest,” he said in a Viber message to reporters.
Eleazar said the two riders' stunts were dangerous and "clearly put the safety of other motorists, commuters and pedestrians at risk."
He said he expects an immediate result of the investigation and imposition of appropriate penalties for the two, though he did not mention what these were.
“Let this serve as a warning that we will not tolerate this kind of misbehavior because as police officers, we should serve as the role models in abiding the laws that include traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
- Latest
- Trending
