Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 9) — President Rodrigo Duterte said he will ensure the imprisonment of the policeman who gunned down a woman in Quezon City.
“My rule is, if you are a military man, you are a policeman, and you do your duty in accordance with law, tapos nasabit ka (then you get into a fix) I will defend you,” Duterte said in an interview with his friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy Tuesday night.
However, in the case of Master Sergeant Hensie Zinampan, who was arrested last week after shooting Lilibeth Valdez in Barangay Greater Fairview, the President said he will ensure that the former police officer will be punished.
“Makulong yan sigurado… I will see to it na makulong (sya),” he said. “Itong policeman na lasing ka… tapos pumatay ka pa ng tao ah kung nandiyan ako papatayin kita. Wala kang silbi.”
[Translation: He will be surely imprisoned. I will see to it he will be imprisoned. This policeman who was drunk and killed a person, if I had been there, I would have killed you. You are useless.]
In a police report, a witness said Zinampan confronted the victim in front of a store at around 9:30 p.m. The visibly agitated policeman reportedly drew his firearm and shot the victim on the back of her head, which resulted in her instantaneous death.
Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar had ordered the filing of administrative and criminal charges against Zinampan, saying the video evidence speaks strongly of the policeman’s guilt.
