The criminal case filed against Daniel Florendo Jr., the Quezon City cop who killed a retired soldier, has been sent back to investigators for lack of evidence, Philippine National Police Chief General Archie Gamboa announced today.
Gamboa said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s internet radio Teleradyo, “The criminal case was returned for further investigation. The prosecutor said there are lapses in the evidence that warrant the filing of an appropriate case. It was returned to the police for further investigation, to gather more evidence.”
“That’s what’s happening with the [criminal] case. The administrative case is still ongoing,” he added.
Read: Quezon City cop shoots dead army veteran for allegedly reaching for gun
Florendo was charged for homicide last month after he shot and killed Winston Ragos, a former member of the Philippine Army who was supposedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. One afternoon, Ragos allegedly confronted Florendo and his colleagues when the group was manning a checkpoint in the village of Pasong Putik in Quezon City. The group of 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, and a Rappler report stated that his sling bag only contained identification cards, quarantine passes, a sheet of paper, and family photos.
The Army has sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the case after it noticed the contradicting statements of the police and witnesses.
