Arrests not automatically required under police traffic procedures - NAPOLCOM

Conducting an arrest is not automatically required under police traffic procedures, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) clarified on Sunday, after a driver nearly faced criminal charges for hitting a student who fell from the platform of a Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) station in Quezon City.

“Wala naman nakalagay na kailangan arestuhin, so ‘yun yung kelangan klaruhin, ‘yung kailangan maayos nakalagay sa ating magiging bagong manual para magabayan ang ating kapulisan,” NAPOLCOM vice chairperson Rafael Vicente Calinisan told Super Radyo dzBB.

(There is nothing that says arrests are automatically required, so that is what we need to clarify in our new manual to guide police officers.)

Calinisan explained cops conduct arrests to avoid facing charges or grave misconduct or grave negligence themselves when traffic accidents result in fatalities.

He clarified that when motorists are involved in accidents resulting in an individual’s death, the driver involved may either undergo inquest proceedings or face regular criminal charges.

“To be clear, ‘yung isang option arestuhin at dalhin sa prosecution, tinatawag na inquest, yung secnd ay pakalawalan at kasuhan ng regular filing pag hindi malinaw na evidence o wala naman negligence,” Calinisan said.

(To be clear, one option is to arrest motorists and subject them to prosecution, undergoing inquest proceedings. The second option is to release the motorist and pursue regular criminal charges only if the evidence is unclear or if there is no sign of negligence.)

The driver in the LRT incident has been released.

NAPOLCOM and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are reviewing police traffic procedures following the accident.

“Dapat on the ground, doon pa lang nasasala na. So, ang pinag-uusapan namin ngayon is how to control that discretion,” Calinisan said.

(It should be filtered right there on the ground. So what we are discussing now is how to control that discretion.)

Meanwhile, Senator JV Ejercito called for the urgent need to pass the Defensive Driving Protection Act, which protects innocent motorists from being immediately imprisoned as a result of a road accident.

Calinisan said he supports the proposed measure, saying that the law will provide clarity on police traffic procedures. —RF, GMA Integrated News