NAPOLCOM sacks police woman whose gun was used in Tacloban school shooting

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The police officer whose nephew was involved in the deadly shooting at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban on June 22 has been dismissed from the service by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM).

In a statement, the NAPOLCOM said the police woman was found to have committed grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer after her service firearm was used by her 14-year-old nephew in the school shooting.

The nephew was one of two minors who were involved in the Tacloban school shooting incident that left three students dead and several others injured.

"The Commission found that PSSg Paciencia, although officially on duty that day, deliberately left her service firearm at home and kept it only in a plastic gun box inside a plastic cabinet, not in the safety vault required by PNP rules on firearm safekeeping," the NAPOLCOM said.

"The Commission ruled that her gross negligence in the custody of a government-issued lethal weapon set in motion the chain of events that led to the tragedy, and that her numerous awards and commendations, including on public safety, could not mitigate her liability but instead underscored the higher degree of care expected of her," it added.

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The penalty of dismissal carries with it the forfeiture of benefits and perpetual disqualification from public office.

“The unfortunate events in Tacloban and other parts of the country underscore the urgent need for stricter accountability," NAPOLCOM Commissioner Rafael Vicente R. Calinisan said.

The NAPOLCOM said that the responsible handling and safekeeping of issued firearms is a non-negotiable duty of every member of the police service, and that it will continue to hold accountable those who fall short of that standard. —NB, GMA News