Gun-toting ex-cop in road rage incident should appear at Senate hearing – Ejercito

Gun-toting driver and dismissed policeman Wilfredo Gonzales should appear in the investigation of the Senate into the viral road rage incident in Quezon City, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said Friday.

"He [Gonzales] is the principal character here; I think he should really appear," Ejercito told reporters in a virtual interview.

He said Gonzales' appearance at the upper chamber's scheduled hearing next week would shed light on the 8 August incident near Welcome Rotonda, Quezon City.

"It would help us craft laws — in aid of legislation. What we can do about it. Do we need to impose stiffer penalties for those who are involved in road rage incidents?" he said.

Should Gonzales, who was caught in a now-deleted viral video physically assaulting and brandishing a gun at an unarmed cyclist, decide not to attend the hearing, the lawmaker said he could be summoned through a subpoena.

The lawmaker, who is also a cyclist himself, also called on the cyclist who was physically assaulted by Gonzales to come forward.

"He should not be scared because many people are willing to support him and provide protection for him," Ejercito said.

Earlier this week, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte urged the cyclist to come forward, saying she would protect and provide him with legal assistance.

"We are appealing to the complainant to come forward so that Willy Gonzales, whom I consider a menace to society, is held accountable," Belmonte said.

"We want to assure the cyclist that we will extend legal assistance, as well as put him and his family in our protection so that justice is served," she added.

Following the incident, at least two resolutions have been filed in the upper chamber seeking to investigate the viral road rage incident.

In Senate Resolution No. 763, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri and Senator Pia Cayetano stressed that the "incident involves public order and safety, which is an important concern for everyone."

"This is a serious case involving public order and safety, which cannot simply be settled amicably and swept under the rug," the resolution read.

The two lawmakers also emphasized that the incident "highlights the safety of cyclists on the road, and the issue of road sharing, a concept that remains ignored by and alien to many Filipino motorists."

Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the rampant road rage incidents in the country that often involve the use of firearms and endanger innocent lives