The Philippine National Police (PNP) denied on Thursday, June 16, that a special treatment is being given to Jose Antonio Sanvicente, the vehicle driver involved in the Mandaluyong hit-and-run incident.
PNP Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in an interview that the suspect went through a legal process, and that the public should respect the mandate of the prosecutor’s office and judicial authorities.
“Records will indicate na may mga insidente na malalaki pong tao na inaresto at idinaan sa legal na proseso. It so happened ang PNP has to go to the legal process at kailangan po nating respetuhin ang mandato at restriction ng prosecutor’s office at pati na rin po ang ating judicial authorities,” Fajardo said.
The police official reiterated that there is no existing warrant of arrest, as well as any written waiver that will put Sanvicente under the custody of the PNP.
“In the absence po of any written waiver po na isa-submit niya sa proper judicial authority, hindi po natin siya pwede i-custody, otherwise nga po ay maaaring masampahan din ng kaso, ng arbitrary detention ‘yung ating mga kapulisan,” Fajardo added.
Meanwhile, Sanvicente is scheduled on Friday, June 17, to undergo preliminary investigation at the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office to face the charges of frustrated murder and abandonment of victim. —Report from Patrick De Jesus/KC-ag
