MANILA — Three police officers have been removed from their positions following the leak of a video depicting the deceased actor Ronaldo Valdez.
Brigadier General Redrico Maranan of the Quezon City Police District announced the decision, stating that Senior Master Sergeant Wilfredo Calinao, Corporal Romel Rosales, and Quezon City Police District Station 11 commander Lieutenant Colonel Reynante Parlade were relieved of their duties.
In an interview, Maranan emphasized that administrative and criminal complaints would be filed against the implicated officers.
Calinao, identified as the first responder at the scene, had taken the video, which subsequently circulated widely on various social media platforms.
Maranan expressed strong disapproval of Calinao’s actions, stating, “If you are a first responder, your job is just to secure the scene. You should not be taking a video.”
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Valdez’s death falls under the jurisdiction of the Quezon City Police District’s criminal investigation and detection unit, Maranan added.
Authorities are actively looking into how the video found its way onto Facebook and other social media channels.
Lt. Col. Reynante Parlade was relieved based on the doctrine of command responsibility, while Romel Rosales was identified as the individual who shared the video within their Viber group chat.
In addition to the police officers, three civilians who posted the video on Facebook are facing criminal charges for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act (Republic Act 10175) and the data privacy law (RA 10173).
Colonel Jean Fajardo, the PNP public information officer, called on netizens to refrain from sharing the video on their social media accounts, emphasizing that it was not intended for public dissemination and urging respect for the privacy of the victim and his family.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte strongly condemned the video leak, describing it as a breach of privacy and basic human decency.
She directed Brig. Gen. Maranan to conduct a thorough investigation against all police personnel present at the scene, with corresponding sanctions for those found at fault.
Belmonte stressed the importance of adherence to police procedures, including evidence collection, without violating the principles of trust, professionalism, and confidentiality.
She also urged Filipinos to refrain from sharing the leaked video, expressing condolences to the family and friends of the late actor.
“Let us respect the privacy and dignity of the late actor and his family in this time of intense grief. It is highly distasteful for anyone to use the sad and unfortunate demise of an individual to gain social media mileage and popularity,” Belmonte added.
(Jr Amigo/IA/MNM)
