Quezon City vows to probe man who pulled gun on cyclist

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Sunday, August 27, ordered its law and order cluster and the QC Police District (QCPD) to investigate the incident involving a man physically assaulting and drawing a gun on an unarmed cyclist.

In a statement, the local government said it strongly condemns the August 8 incident caught on video and has since gone viral on social media, and vows to conduct its own probe despite an earlier statement by the QCPD that the two parties already made amends.

“Sinisiguro ng pamahalaang lungsod na mananagot ang naturang lalaki sa buong saklaw ng batas na kanyang posibleng nilabag” QC said, adding that violence has no space in the city.

“Hangad ng lokal na pamahalaan na maglaan ng ligtas na bike lanes sa lahat ng siklista,” it said.

(The local government will see to it that the man will be held accountable under the law that he possibly violated. The city vows to provide safe bike lanes to all cyclists.)

In a press conference at the QCPD, the driver identified as Willy Gonzales expressed his regrets, but blasted social media for making him look like a bad person. He added that there is more to the story, but refused to discuss details of what transpired.

The viral video shows the man alighting a red car then proceeding to hit the helmet of the cyclist, before cocking his gun. The scene unfolded after his car collided with the cyclist near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila.

QCPD chief Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said the two arrived at an understanding, but said that anyone can file a complaint against Gonzales. The cyclist was not present in the ten-minute press conference.

The Quezon City government also appealed to the cyclist to come out and cooperate with the investigation, but also acknowledged the importance of his safety. – Rappler.com