Filipino former cop who drew gun on a cyclist during road rage formally charged 

QCPD files alarm and scandal raps against Wilfredo Gonzales who assaulted cyclist and threatened him with a hand gun 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Tuesday said it would file an alarm and scandal case against Wilfredo Gonzales, a former police officer who was caught on viral video slapping and brandishing a firearm against a cyclist earlier this month.

QCPD Director Nicolas Torre III said his personnel from Police Station 11 (Galas) were already at the City Hall of Justice to file the case. Cops at this police station stood as complainants, he added. 

"Ang ating basehan ay ang video na lumabas noong Sunday, Aug. 27, at ang baril na iniwan niya noong siya ay nadala sa istasyon para sa altercation together with the biker noong Aug. 8," Torre said over Teleradyo Serbisyo. 

(Our basis was the video that came out on Sunday, Aug. 27 and the gun he surrendered at the station during the altercation together with the biker on Aug. 8.)

"Sa ngayon, nag-file muna kami ng kaso at hinihintay namin ang magiging guidance ng mga piskal paano natin mapalakas ang kaso na isinampa natin," he added. 

(For now, we filed the case and we are still waiting for the fiscal's guidance so we can strengthen it.) 

Even if the two had an earlier amicable settlement, he said the alarm and scandal was not covered. 

"Kung sila ay nagka-amicable settlement man, nasa kanilang dalawa 'yun sa krimen na maaaring nag-transpire in between them. Hindi covered 'yung alarm and scandal," the local police chief said. 

"Kami ay humihingi ng tulong sa iba pa nating kababayan para mapalakas ito, na sana 'yung ibang kababayan natin especially sana 'yung siklista o nandoon 'yung abogado... at 'yung cycling community na humihingi ng hustisya sa insidente na ito ay makipagtulungan," he added. 

(If they had an amicable settlement before then that is between the two of them. This does not cover the alarm and scandal. We are asking for help to the public to strengthen the case, most especially from the cyclist himself or his lawyer or the cycling community calling for justice on the incident.)

Torre said they were looking at the possibility of filing grave threat and attempted homicide cases too, as long as the cyclist involved in the video would come forward. 

Police will need the personal complaint from the aggrieved party, he stressed. 

The viral video on social media sites earlier showed Gonzales slapping and brandishing a gun at a cyclist who had bumped into his vehicle. On Monday, the Philippine National Police said the former cop was dismissed from service for a similar offense in 2017.

During a press conference held on Aug. 27, Gonzales said he had already patched things up with the cyclist.

Lawyer Raymon Fortun, a bicycling enthusiast, however refuted the ex-cop's statement, saying the cyclist was forced to sign a statement saying that the altercation was his fault. He added that the ex-cop also forced the cyclist to pay P500 for scratching his vehicle. 

Fortun alleged the cyclist has refused to press charges after receiving threats to himself and his family. He said a police official even called the cyclist and told him not to pursue any lawsuit. 

Meanwhile, PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda, Jr. said he has ordered the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) to look into the alleged special treatment that Torre gave to the former cop. 

Acorda said he does not encourage giving protection or tolerating such actions, if true. 

"That is why I encourage our DIDM to look into matters if there are things that were violated kasi talagang kung ang kapulisan ay mismong makikita na sila ang nagbibigay ng insinuations that we are protecting this actions ay medyo hindi maganda and we will not tolerate it," said the police chief.

Torre denied the allegations, saying he still presented Gonzales to the media over the weekend "because of the clamor."

"Siya ay under custody kaya siya ay kailangan may kasamang pulis. Hindi puwedeng sumurrender siya and in 30 minutes wala na siyang kasamang pulis. Masama naman din tingnan yun," Torre said.

"So I made that decision and that's the reason why nakita niyo ako nagsasalita siya, ini-interview siya ng media at binigyan ko siya nag pagkakataon magsalita," he said. 

(He was under custody which was why he needed the presence of the police. He should not surrender and in 30 minutes he was still not accommodated by the police. That is why I made that decision and you saw me giving him the platform to explain himself.)