Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde revealed that two other police graduates have lodged complaints against Eastern Police District (EPD) director Brig. Gen. Christopher Tambungan who was administratively relieved on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a policewoman last month.
“Apparently hindi lang pala ‘yun ‘yung unang insidente,” Albayalde told reporters Thursday.
“I learned just now, this morning, meron pa palang nag-complain sa kanya na dalawang mga graduates doon sa Ombudsman na ganun din ang nangyari, na medyo nagalit yata at hindi nakontrol ang kaniyang galit at na manhandle niya itong dalawa,” Albayalde said.
According to Albayalde, these information was relayed to him by the Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). He did not provide further details regarding the complaints.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the NCRPO, called Thursday on all police commanders to treat their men with respect amid the allege bullying of Tambungan on a female cop in San Juan last month.
The video of how Tambungan allegedly maltreated Police Corporal April Santiago on May 12 in Greenhills is now going viral in the social media.
At the same time, Eleazar urged all policemen, particularly police non-commissioned officers or those with the rank of Patrolman to Police Senior Master Sergeant, to lodge a complaint before him against their abusive commanders.
“As commanders, they are expected to treat their subordinates with respect because that is part of the definition of leadership,” Eleazar said in an interview.
“Being a commander does not give any of them the right, or a ticket, to physically abuse or humiliate their men. That is not leadership, that is plain and simple bullying,” he stressed.
While the incident involving Tambungan happened in May 12, Eleazar said that he only learned of what happened to Corporal Santiago on Tuesday since the latter did not file any complaint out of fear since she is dealing with a police general.
Eleazar said he immediately sacked Tambungan as EPD director as the closed circuit television footage was already enough to convince him of abuse of authority.
Based on the investigation he ordered after he learned of the incident, Eleazar said it happened at around 7 p.m. on May 12.
“Allegedly, at about 7 in the evening of May 12, for no justifiable reason at all, Brigadier General Tambungan confronted Police Corporal Santiago because she couldn’t help him in a task given her, ” said Eleazar.
“Thereafter, he physically assaulted PCpl Santiago, hitting her on the head and later swinging his car door to hit her, while hurling verbal abuse at her,” he added.
The incident was captured in the CCTV which Eleazar saw on Wednesday, prompting him to immediately issue the relief order.
“I believe that the physical actuations of General Tambungan, including his alleged verbal abuse upon his victim are unjustified and completely unbecoming of an officer of the PNP,” said Eleazar.
The fact that it was a policewoman who was a victim of physical and verbal abuse made it even worse for Tambungan
“As such, I am relieving General Tambungan administratively from his post temporarily, pending a full and impartial investigation of the matter,” he added.
Tambungan is transferred to NCRPO Regional Director’s Office and was replaced by Police Col. Florendo Quebuyen.
Tambungan is a member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class 1987.
The PNP leadership earlier assumed full supervision of the PNPA after President Duterte signed a law transferring the control of PNPA from the Philippine Public Safety College to the PNP after years of lobbying due to discipline and training issues. (Aaron Recuenco, Jhon Casinas)
