Ragos should have been disabled, not fatally shot- NAPOLCOM exec

A National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) official said Friday the cop should have disabled Winston Ragos instead of fatally shooting him twice in a Quezon checkpoint.

“What was ideal was to disable him (Ragos). That should be the most ideal thing for the policeman to do but again this will be clarified during the actual investigation because everybody will have their day in court,” NAPOLCOM Executive Director Rogelio Casurao said in an interview on ANC.

The official said life must always be saved even in the course of law enforcement. He said it looked that this was not observed in the Quezon City shooting incident where Police Master Sergeant Daniel Florendo shot dead retired military Ragos.

'Mentally challenged' ECQ violator shot dead by Quezon City cop
‘Mentally challenged’ ECQ violator shot dead by Quezon City cop. (Image captured from video of Willie Rosario)

“The most ideal thing was really to emasculate the victim by probably shooting him on the non-fatal part of his body. You know, even in law enforcement you have to see to it that lives are saved,” Casurao said.

“I think this was not observed because as the video would tell us, the first shot was already aimed at the body, the torso, the second shot was I think delivered when the victim was already in the act of leaving the area or running away.”

The NAPOLCOM exec, however, said the video footage of Florendo killing Ragos would not be the only evidence that will be used in probing the incident.

Casurao said two NAPOLCOM investigators had been assigned to investigate the case.  The standard period of the agency in probing incidents is 60 days.

“I’m confident that we will finish this in 60 days,” he said.

Also read: ‘Mentally challenged’ ECQ violator shot dead by Quezon City cop

Philippine Army Commanding General Gilbert Gapay also ordered the investigation to give justice to Cpl. Winston Ragos, according to Philippine Army spokesperson Ramon Zagala.

The Philippine Army said Ragos was granted a complete disability discharge due to his mental disorder.

“In November 2017, Ragos was given a complete disability discharge from his military service, complete with pension and other assistance, after being diagnosed with a mental disorder. To a soldier, the wounds of war are not just physical but also mental, and their scars are not always visible,” said Zagala.