ONE got praised by his superiors for singlehandedly arresting a man who fired his gun indiscriminately in Santiago City in Isabela last Sunday. The other is in “hot water” for allegedly committing the same offense in Nueva Vizcaya two days earlier.

Officials were referring to the different cases of Patrolman Jomar Vergara of the SAF’s Force Support Battalion stationed in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, and a patrolman of the 145th Special Action Company (SAC) of the SAF’s 14th Special Action Battalion (SAB).

PNP-SAF Director Major General Edgar Alan O. Okubo said that Pat. Vergara immediately acted to arrest a civilian after the latter fired his gun indiscriminately in Purok 5, Barangay Sagana, in Santiago City, Isabela 4 p.m. last Sunday.

The official said that the SAF trooper confronted the 41-year-old accused following a complaint from a local resident.

It turned out that the SAF trooper and his family were celebrating the New Year inside a family friend’s house in Bgy. Sagana when the cop was informed that a man under the influence of liquor fired his gun indiscriminately in their area while riding a bicycle.

Okubo said that the lone SAF commando approached the suspect and placed him under arrest after he saw the latter’s gun protruding inside the suspect’s bag.

The suspect, a resident of Bgy. San Luis in Cauayan City was turned over to the local police by Vergara. The suspect yielded a cal. .45 pistol with tampered serial numbers and a magazine containing three bullets.

He is now facing charges for alarm and scandal and violation of the Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.

On the other hand, the other SAF commando is now facing criminal and administrative charges for grave misconduct after he was accused of involvement in an indiscriminate firing incident in Bgy. Tuao Nort in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya last December 30.

PNP Public Information Office Chief Colonel Redrico A. Maranan said that the incident also triggered the administrative relief due to the command responsibility of Captain John Louise Pacres, the commanding officer of the 14h SAC.

Pacres was transferred to the SAF’s Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit pending the result of the ongoing investigation into the incident ordered by Okubo, in coordination with the Nueva Vizcaya Police Provincial Office.

PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., earlier said that whoever is the immediate superior of a policeman who will violate the policy against indiscriminate firing during the New Year revelries will also be relieved and held accountable for command responsibility.

Maranan, however, said there were no other significant cases reported during the New Year revelries except for three incidents of indiscriminate firing recorded in Manila and Quezon cities from December 31, 2022 to January 1, 2023.