Leyte cops probe viral video of armed men at Albuera checkpoint

TACLOBAN CITY — The Leyte Police Provincial Office (LPPO) has launched an investigation into a video circulating on social media showing several individuals in civilian clothes allegedly carrying firearms while alongside police personnel at a border control point in Albuera, Leyte.

The video went viral on Wednesday, prompting the LPPO to determine the identities, authority, and circumstances surrounding the presence of the armed civilians at the checkpoint.

As of Thursday, police have yet to establish the identities of the armed individuals and whether they were authorized to carry firearms or operate alongside the police personnel deployed in the area.

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READ: Kerwin Espinosa turns over loose firearms to Albuera police

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Col. Celerino Sacro Jr., LPPO chief, immediately ordered appropriate action after receiving information about the circulating video.

As an initial measure, the police personnel assigned to the concerned border control point were relieved from their posts.

Maj. Franklin Romeo Parangan, chief of the Albuera police station, was also recommended for administrative relief pending the outcome of the investigation.

The LPPO said it would conduct a thorough investigation and those who violated any law in this incident would be dealt with in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.

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They assured the public that the investigation would be impartial and follow due process, stressing its commitment to professionalism, accountability and public safety in all police operations.

The viral video has drawn public attention because of the apparent presence of armed civilians in the vicinity of a police checkpoint./coa