PNP: Instructor, police trainee hurt in La Union 'accidental' firing

A police instructor and his trainee were wounded after a supposed accidental firing incident in Aringay, La Union on Tuesday, the Philippine National Police said Wednesday.

In a statement, the PNP identified the instructor as Police Corporal Benie Dupayat, 32, and the trainee as Patrolman John Conrad Villanueva, 23.

At the Regional Training Center-1, Dupayat was demonstrating to trainees the operating functions of a caliber 45 pistol when the demo gun malfunctioned and discharged a round. 

The  slug cut through Dupayat palm and hit Villanueva. The two were rushed to the Caba District Hospital for treatment.

PNP chief Police General Dionardo Carlos sought for a review of policy on weapons training to avoid such incidents in police training courses involving live fire exercises.

“If accidents like this can happen in training even under controlled conditions, it is likely to happen anytime during the course of normal police functions involving firearms and live ammunition,” he said.

“We remind our instructors to ensure safety at all times, in this case, foremost, no loaded firearms and live ammunition inside the classroom even for training purposes”, he added. —LBG, GMA News