NAPOLCOM looks into Baliwag, Bulacan police officers after a minor’s arm was allegedly broken by a rifle blow at a checkpoint
The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) has opened an investigation into several police officers in Baliwag, Bulacan after a 17-year-old boy allegedly suffered a fractured arm when he was hit with a rifle at a supposed checkpoint.
According to the report of GMA News, the teenager’s father, Rey Eladio Reyes, filed an administrative complaint before NAPOLCOM on Friday, November 13, seeking accountability for what happened to his son.
Based on the complaint, the minor was driving a motorcycle with a companion along the Baliwag-Pulilan Bypass Road on the night of October 31 when they passed two police officers standing by the road. A motorcycle ahead of them reportedly went through without being flagged down, so the boy also kept driving, but one of the officers allegedly struck him with a long firearm.
Out of fear, the two sped away but were later cornered by police in an alley and brought to the station, where their motorcycle was ticketed for impoundment. The boy told GMA’s Balitanghali that there were no signs indicating a checkpoint in the area.
A policewoman at the station allegedly brushed off the injury as a simple bruise. His father later brought him to a hospital, where an X-ray confirmed that his arm was fractured.
NAPOLCOM Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan questioned the force used against the minor. “Assuming na kailangan natin siyang pigilan dahil tumakas siya sa checkpoint, was the force used reasonable? Was it justified to strike a minor with a firearm just to make him stop? I don’t think so,” he said.
The father became emotional while recalling his son’s ordeal. “Mabigat bilang magulang na makita yung anak mo na nahihirapan,” Reyes said (It is heavy as a parent to see your child suffering). Per DZRH News, the boy missed two weeks of school, and his father was also unable to work during that time.
The commission said the officers may face administrative charges such as Neglect of Duty and Conduct Unbecoming of a Police Officer, while their superiors may be held liable under command responsibility. NAPOLCOM is still verifying the identities of the policemen involved.
The probe will also determine whether the alleged checkpoint followed the rules, including proper signage, supervision and a well-lit, visible location.
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