The Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed the frustrated murder and malicious mischief complaints filed against Staff Sgt. Erwin Lagua, the policeman involved in the viral road altercation and crash along C-5 Road last week.
According to Lawyers for Commuters’ Safety and Protection (LCSP) founder and president Atty. Ariel Inton, Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Jasmin Pararuan did not give weight to the frustrated murder complaint after reviewing and analyzing the unedited footage of the incident, which allegedly showed a different context leading up to the crash.
The viral video, which gained thousands of views online, showed Lagua apparently pushing a civilian motorcyclist, causing the rider to fall onto the busy highway. The incident prompted National Police Commission Vice Chairperson Ralph Calinisan to publicly criticize officers of the Quezon City Police District for allegedly downgrading the charges to slight physical injuries.
However, Inton argued that the complete footage showed the complainant allegedly chasing and taunting the officer while he was trying to avoid confrontation.
“The complainant knew he was chasing a uniformed officer, but it looks like the rider was after video content, because he immediately said, ‘You’re on video,’” Inton said.
Aside from dismissing the major complaints, Pararuan reportedly recommended that Lagua be allowed to post bail for the remaining slight physical injuries case.
“We’re also ready to represent him (Lagua) on that charges. We should be very careful in judging others, especially agencies (NAPOLCOM) that watch over the police,” Inton added.