QC Police Chief Who Held a Presser for the Viral Road Rage Driver Has Resigned
To give way for an impartial investigation.
(SPOT.ph) UPDATE: Remember the Quezon City police chief who held a press conference with the ex-policeman who wielded a gun while confronting a cyclist in a road rage incident? He has resigned after apologizing to the public over his actions, multiple news agencies reported.
QCPD Director Nicolas Torre III submitted his resignation on Wednesday, and will take effect August 31, CNN Philippines and INQUIRER.net said. This follows the backlash he said he received on social media on how Quezon City police handled the incident.
"To pave way for an impartial investigation, I am going to relinquish my position and I'm just waiting for the go signal of my superiors," he said in an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo hours before the reports of his resignation.
Also read:
Road Rage Incident Goes Viral as People Try to Identify Gun-Wielding Driver
Recap: That Viral Road Rage Incident With the Gun-Wielding Ex-Cop
What happened during the presscon with ex-cop in road rage incident
On Sunday night, just hours after the road rage video went viral on social media, the QCPD chief held a press conference together with Willie Gonzales, driver of the KIA Rio who pulled a gun on a cyclist after his bicycle hit his vehicle near Welcome Rotonda on August 8.
During the press conference, Torre said the incident was a "non-case" as the cyclist and driver reached an agreement privately, which lawyer Raymond Fortun, who volunteered to help the cyclist, disputed online.
Also read: “Parang Ang Sama-Sama Kong Tao” Driver in Viral Road Rage Incident Says
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte criticized how the police handled the case, as she ordered the QC People’s Law Enforcement Board to investigate what happened.
“Our QCPD seems to be agreeing as if he was the one saying, ‘Go ahead, give your side.’ It felt strange to me... There was something wrong, in my view,” she told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
She also asked the cyclist to come forward so the Quezon City government can extend legal assistance to him "so that justice is served."
"Maaaring natatakot ang biktima na humarap dahil ang nakatapat niya ay taga-gobyerno. Nais nating bigyang-diin na walang puwang ang karahasan sa ating lungsod,” Belmonte said in a statement.
QC police chief "regrets" holding a presser on road rage incident
Torre took note of the backlash, and has reached out to Belmonte over what happened.
"I really regret that press conference. I really regret that deeply. I apologize to the Filipino people for those actions because those are decisions made in a very short span of time. In hindsight, we have 20/20 vision. I could have done it better with the same result pero nangyari na e," he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
"I'm seriously considering getting out of Quezon City muna to give way for impartial investigation."
Belmonte said she respects Torre's decision as she stressed that the citu government would still pursue a "fair and unbiased" investigation.
"I understand that missteps are a part of everyone’s journey, and it is the manner in which we address them that truly defines us. His willingness to take ownership of the situation is commendable," she said in a statement.