MANILA – Iloilo 1st District’s Cong. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. could face an ethics complaint before the House of Representatives over a mauling incident in Guimbal town early Wednesday morning.
A fellow lawmaker may file a complaint before the Committee on Ethics or sponsor one, according to House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez.
“Siguro talagang uminit ang ulo. Normally naman, kung mahaba ang proximity fuse ng pasensya mo, hindi ka naman agad puputok,” said Suarez.
Garin and his father, Mayor Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr., are respondents in a criminal and administrative complaint filed on Dec. 27 by Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya Jr. of the Guimbal police station.
“Let’s find out ano ‘yung nag-trigger ng galit sa pulis,” said Suarez.
Macaya’s complaint was for assault upon a person in authority, grave coercion, grave threats, physical injuries, slander by deeds, serious illegal detention, alarm and scandal, grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of public officials, oppression, abuse of authority, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public.
The policeman claimed he was handcuffed, manhandled and threatened at gunpoint before dawn on Dec. 26 outside the municipal hall of Guimbal.
In a statement issued on Dec. 26 hours after the mauling, Congressman Garin said he got irked with Macaya after a victim in a Dec. 22 commotion at the Guimbal public plaza told them the policeman persuaded him not to file the case against an attacker and that the cop forced him to sign an affidavit expressing disinterest in filing charges.
“For me, what the policeman did was a betrayal of public thrust kag klaro nga pag abusar sang iya posisyon,” according to Garin.
What Macaya did, according to the congressman, was contrary to the Philippine National Police (PNP) policy of not settling the parties in a criminal case.
Garin is currently on his second term as congressman. He was elected to post in 2013 and successfully sought reelection in 2016.
Garin apologized to the PNP. According to him, he was taking “full responsibility” for his actions but stressed these “were a mere display of extreme frustration towards one, single PNP personnel nga sa akon panglantaw committed a great disservice to the people of Guimbal.”
Despite apologizing for the incident, the congressman’s two police security detail were pulled out by the PNP. His Permits to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence and License to Own and Possess Firearms were also revoked./PN
