PNP investigating shooting of Marawi siege soldier with PTSD who allegedly violated ECQ protocol

Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa

(Eagle News) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the shooting of a retired soldier who allegedly violated quarantine protocols, but turned out to have a mental health issues.

PNP chief General Archie Gamboa said that a PNP probe is “already underway” to investigate the shooting incident involving Police Master Sergeant Daniel Florendo Jr., and Winston Ragos who is suffering allegedly from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his tour of duty in Marawi in 2017.

“The policeman knew that he was armed,” Gamboa said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

He said that apparently there was a heated argument between the police officers and Ragos, prompting the cops to call their superior, Florendo.

“We have to know all the facts. We sympathize with the family of Ragos. But please give the PNP the trust that we will investigate this thoroughly,” he told in an interview with CNN Philippines’ anchor Pinky Webb in “The Source.”

Gamboa said that it was Florendo’s “judgment call’ that led to the shooting, and that the policeman did not probably know that Ragos had mental health issues.

“It was a conjecture that came after the incident,” he said.

He said that the PNP-Internal Affairs Office is already investigating the incident, and that Florendo has already been disarmed and “restricted” in his unit.

In the interview, the PNP chief said that he will remind all policemen to exercise “proper judgment” in enforcing quaranting protocols during these “extraordinary times” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Eagle News Service)