3 QC cops sacked over Ronaldo Valdez video leak

Ronaldo Valdez. Image: Instagram/@tito.ron.valdez

Three police officers were relieved from their posts for their alleged involvement in the leakage of a video showing the body of actor Ronaldo Valdez who died on Sunday.

According to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), relieved was a police officer assigned at QCPD’s Station 11 (Galas) who took the video as the first responder in the crime scene. Another personnel of the station then posted the video in a Viber group. Lt. Col. Reynaldo Parlade, the station commander, was also relieved of duty based on command responsibility.

According to Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, it was QCPD director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, who ordered the sacking of the police officers.

“This is a regrettable incident that was not supposed to spread on social media. If this was taken by our police responders for documentation purposes, there should have been no problem,” Fajardo said at a press briefing in Camp Crame.

“But since this video found its way online, an investigation is now being conducted and those who would be found responsible would be liable for both administrative and criminal cases,” she added.

An investigation is still ongoing to identify the source of the video and the persons who uploaded it on social media.

Fajardo said the QCPD immediately requested the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to take down all the videos uploaded online. The PNP also asked the public not to share the video online as a courtesy to the grieving family and friends of the actor.

The video, which had gone viral on social media, showed the retrieval of Valdez’s body from his home in New Manila, Quezon City, on Sunday.

Police officers who arrived at the scene found Valdez lying bloodied on a chair, with his hand still holding a pistol.

The QCPD is still investigating the cause of death of the actor.

Valdez’s manager Jamela Santos expressed anger over the circulation of the video, asking her online followers if they could help her raise the matter with the National Bureau of Investigation.

“[How can] people be so cruel? I can’t believe it! So you can have a scoop? So your content will be trending [online]? How can you [stoop] so low? You have no respect!”

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte also strongly condemned the spread of the video, describing it as a violation of privacy and basic human decency against the individual and his grieving family.

“I am directing QC Police District Director PBGen. Redrico Maranan to conduct an investigation against all police personnel involved at the scene with corresponding sanctions to those at fault,” Belmonte said.

Belmonte called for a comprehensive review of all protocols related to emergency response and investigation, emphasizing the need to uphold the rights of all parties involved in a case.

“Police procedures including evidence collection should be meticulously recorded without violating the principles of trust, professionalism, and confidentiality that our law enforcers should uphold,” she said.

Belmonte also asked her constituents to refrain from sharing the video. She also expressed her condolences to the family and friends of Valdez.

Valdez, or James Ronald Dulaca Gibbs in real life, worked for different roles in TV and film in his showbiz career that spanned for more than five decades.

His last series was ABS-CBN’s “2 Good 2 Be True” in 2022, which was top-billed by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.

READ: ‘Breach of privacy, human decency’: Belmonte orders probe of Ronaldo Valdez video leak