TACLOBAN CITY — The National Police Commission (Napolcom) Eastern Visayas has completed its administrative proceedings against a police officer whose issued service firearm was allegedly used in the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School and has forwarded its findings and recommendations to the commission’s central office for decision.
Napolcom Eastern Visayas Regional Director lawyer Risty Sibay disclosed the development during a press conference Thursday, saying the regional office had completed the summary hearing involving Police Staff Sergeant Arla Ray Pacencia.
“Our office has already undertaken the summary hearing of the said police officer, and we have already submitted the result to our central office en banc for the decision of the administrative case pertaining to the said incident,” Sibay said.
Sibay declined to disclose the findings and recommendations, saying these are now under consideration by the Napolcom en banc. The decision could be released as early as next month.
Pacencia is the aunt of the 14-year-old boy identified as one of two suspects in the June 22 shooting. The Department of Justice earlier disclosed that a reckless imprudence charge had been filed against the police officer in connection with the incident.
The 14-year-old allegedly used Pacencia’s issued service firearm in the attack, which left three students dead and 20 others injured.
The younger suspect is exempt from criminal liability under the country’s juvenile justice law because of his age. His 15-year-old companion, meanwhile, faces charges of three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder and multiple counts of serious physical injuries.
Both minors are under the custody of a rehabilitation facility managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Pacencia remains an active member of the Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas and has been placed under custody at the PNP-8 holding unit while the cases are being resolved.
Earlier, Erbea Fabian, mother of slain student Chris Lorenz Fabian, welcomed the filing of criminal charges and the administrative proceedings involving the police officer whose service firearm was allegedly used in the attack.
She said the development gave the victims’ families hope that those responsible for the deaths and injuries would eventually be held accountable.
“It gave us hope that there would be justice for our children and the other victims, and that something like this would not happen again so easily,” Fabian said.
Fabian also called on firearm owners to exercise greater responsibility in securing and handling their weapons, particularly when firearms are kept in homes where children could potentially gain access to them.
“Even if she said the firearm was secured, if it was really on safety, how was the child still able to get it?” she said.
The June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School was among the country’s most serious school-based shooting incidents in recent years. The attack renewed calls for stronger school security measures and greater accountability in the handling and storage of firearms.
The Napolcom en banc’s decision will determine whether Pacencia will face administrative sanctions in addition to any criminal proceedings arising from the incident.
The case has also intensified concerns over firearm security and accountability among law enforcement personnel, particularly in preventing issued service weapons from being accessed or used by unauthorized individuals.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
