DoJ: Cop faces charges in Tacloban shooting
THE shooting at the Jesuit-run school, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security.
(OSV News photo//Nonoy Lacson, Reuters)
The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced Tuesday that the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office has recommended filing criminal charges against police officer Arla Ray Pacencia, the registered owner of the firearm used in the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School.
DoJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez stated that prosecutors recommended charging Pacencia with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries following a preliminary investigation.
The case stemmed from complaints filed by parents and students following the incident involving a child in conflict with the law — defined under Philippine law as an individual under 18 accused of committing an offense.
Martinez said the corresponding information will be filed with the Family Court at the Regional Trial Court of Tacloban City.
The shooting, which occurred at San Jose National High School, left three teenagers dead and 13 others injured.
Police reported that two Grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, allegedly opened fire inside the campus.
Pacencia, who is the aunt of one of the minor suspects, previously testified before a Senate hearing that the minor — identified by authorities under the alias “Nash” — unlawfully entered her home by damaging a lock and took the firearm used in the attack.