The spokesman of the Philipppine
National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group (HPG), Chief Inspector Oliver
Tanseco, should very well know that a bullet, once it leaves the barrel of a
gun, doesn’t differentiate between its intended target and innocent bystanders.
No matter how daunting the task
given the PNP-HPG to untangle the heavy traffic at EDSA is, it should review
its very dangerous announced policy of letting bullets chase after motorists
fleeing from a “crime.”
Said Tanseco as quoted by a national
daily: “HPG troopers will not hesitate to disable a vehicle by shooting its
tire in case a motorist escapes from a crime.”
Last time we checked, the PNP rules
of engagement states that a police officer can only draw or fire his firearm in
the event that his life or those of other people are directly being threatened,
say by a gunman.
So, is it really justified for a
member of the PNP-HPG to shoot at vehicles “fleeing” a “crime.” And by crime,
did the PNP-HPG meant mere traffic violations or a motorist leaving behind a
road carnage of his doing?
What if a motorist being flagged
down by a PNP-HPG officer didn’t see his being flagged down? Would he then be
considered to be fleeing from a crime? Would shooting at his vehicle’s tires be
justified?
Even when chasing real criminals
like bank robbers, the police are expected to use firearms as a last recourse
especially in crowded areas because bullets once fired cannot be taken back
when they hit innocent bystanders.
–End-
Image by: Abante
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