By Jennifer P. Rendon
Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 chief Brigadier General Jack Wanky has expressed a steadfast resolve to reprimand policemen involved in misdemeanors.
This declaration came after the arrest of an officer for a grave threats complaint on February 24 in Iloilo City.
“You do your part. Huwag kayong mag-abuso because I’ll be hard on you (Don’t commit abuses because I’ll go hard on you). Do your job well and you will be rewarded,” Wanky warned.
Upon hearing about the incident involving Staff Sergeant Archie Ian Garcia, Wanky immediately contacted the police chief of the station where the event occurred.
“I told them to fast-track the conduct of the investigation sa tao na ito,” Wanky said.
Garcia, from Brgy. Lawa-an, Roxas City, Capiz, and currently stationed at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (RPHAU) at Camp Martin Delgado, Iloilo City, was involved in an altercation while off-duty.
The officer, temporarily residing near the site of the incident, is now under scrutiny.
Wanky has tasked Colonel Alexander Mariano to closely examine Garcia’s case, emphasizing, “We don’t need this kind of people in the organization.”
During his first command conference, Wanky had already instructed his subordinates to remind their personnel to avoid misconduct and take care of their career.
“Huwag silang magkakamali kasi maliit lang na pagkakamali we will be very hard on them. Alagaan nila ang serbisyo nila para makapag-retire sila ng maayos,” he advised.
According to the police report, the trouble began when John Mark Gamuza, 22, and Edgar Valle, 23, were socializing with friends and relatives, and Garcia, while on his motorcycle, stopped and inquired about a child who had dashed across the road.
The conversation quickly escalated into an altercation.
Garcia, after identifying himself as a policeman, allegedly pushed the two men and drew his firearm on them.
When asked if Garcia was intoxicated, Captain Roque Gimeno III, chief of Iloilo City Police Station 1, mentioned that only a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test could confirm that.
Gimeno relayed that Garcia claimed he drew his gun fearing a possible mob attack.
The situation intensified when Mark Anthony Ticson, 30, also challenged Garcia over his actions, resulting in another gun-pointing incident.
Ticson then sought help from nearby patrolling officers at Sunburst Park.
Garcia was apprehended and found in possession of a caliber .9mm Glock 17 Gen 4 pistol, serial number PNP69345, loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.
The complainants have expressed their intention to press charges against Garcia.
