A 41-year-old man from Imus City, Cavite was arrested early Sunday after firing a gun and pretending as a police officer.
The incident was reported by a resident from Brgy. Buhay na Tubig and the suspect was identified as Leo Mendoza.
Mendoza allegedly introduced himself as a Senior Officer II (SPO2) when the police came, but according to the police investigation, there is no such identity in the Personnel Accounting Information System of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Several PNP uniforms, a calibre 45 pistol, three discharged cartridges of the same calibre, and some government-issued IDs with his photo dressed as a cop were confiscated from his possession.
Mendoza is facing numerous charges, including violations of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act, Illegal Use of Insignias, and Usurpation of Authority.
Meanwhile, PLtCol Noel Calapatia, Officer-in-Charge of the Imus City Police Station, cautioned all police uniform distributors not to allow civilians to buy anything from them without a PNP ID.
According to Calapatia, such occurrences have harmed the PNP’s reputation throughout the years because there are still persons who pose as cops in order to perpetrate crimes.
