Master Sergeant Daniel Florendo Jr. was charged today with homicide for shooting to death a retired member of the Philippine Army yesterday in Quezon City.
Read: Quezon City cop shoots dead army veteran for allegedly reaching for gun
Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, chief of the Quezon City Police District, said at a virtual presser that Florendo will undergo electronic-inquest, GMA News reports.
“We based our findings on the evidence at hand… so whatever our evidence is, that’s the basis of our inquest proceedings,” Montejo said in English and Filipino, and added that for now, Florendo will only be charged with homicide.
Florendo and four police trainees were stationed yesterday at a checkpoint in the village of Pasong Putik when former soldier Winston Ragos approached and shouted at them. The cops told Ragos to go home because he was violating the rules of the enhanced community quarantine.
Ragos, reportedly a veteran of the Marawi Siege, pulled up his hands in surrender but reached for something in his bag which the police alleged was a gun. Despite pleas from bystanders to leave the victim alone, Florendo shot Ragos twice; the latter was brought to a hospital but died shortly after.
Witnesses said that contrary to the police’s allegation, Ragos did not have a gun inside his bag. Rappler reports that the bag contained only identification cards, quarantine passes, a piece of paper, and family photos.
The Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police are currently conducting each of their own separate investigation into the incident, the Philippine Star reports.
The Army said that Ragos suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and offered their condolences to his family in light of the incident.
