EPD director Tambungan sacked for assaulting lady cop
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2019 11:55:46 +0000
TAMBUNGAN
Police Brig. Gen. Christopher Tambungan, Eastern Police District director, was administratively relieved from his post for allegedly assaulting a lady cop last month, the National Capital Region Police Office said revealed last night.
NCRPO director Police Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar ordered Tambungan’s relief.
According to Eleazar, Tambungan hit Police Corporal April Santiago in the head and intentionally opened his car door to hit the lady cop after she failed to help him in one task.
Tambungan also allegedly committed verbal abuse on Santiago, who is assigned to the Greenhills Police Community Precinct of the San Juan City police station.
The incident happened in front of the Greenhills PCP around 7 p.m. on May 12.
Eleazar said he only received the report on the incident last Tuesday.
“Allegedly Brig. Gen. Tambungan confronted Police Corporal Santiago because she couldn’t help him in a task given to her. Thereafter, he physically assaulted Police Corporal Santiago, hitting her on the head and later swinging his car door to hit her, while hurling verbal abuse at her,” Eleazar said.
“Unfortunately, a report of this incident reached my office only yesterday. Apparently, Corporal Santiago hesitated to file a complaint due to her fear that she might be the one to get reprimanded,” he added.
“In light of Corporal Santiago’s complaint, I made a partial investigation of the matter and based on this, I have come to believe the allegations of Corporal Santiago,” Eleazar said.
Eleazar obtained a copy of the closed-circuit television footage which documented the incident.
“I further believe that the physical actuations of Gen. Tambungan, including his alleged verbal abuse upon his victim, are unjustified and completely unbecoming of an officer of the PNP,” Eleazar said.
“As such, I am relieving Gen. Tambungan administratively from his post, temporarily, pending a full and impartial investigation of the matter,” the Metro Manila police chief added.
Tambungan had served as the EPD director for three months after he replaced Police Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba on March 7 when he was relieved.
Tambungan was transferred to the office of Eleazar while Police Col. Florendo Quebuyen, EPD deputy district director for administration, was designated as the officer-in-charge effective last night. (Martin A. Sadongdong)