QCPD apologizes to Gibbs family over leaked video of Ronaldo Valdez
The Quezon City Police District has issued an apology to Ronaldo Valdez's family for leaking a crime scene video of the late actor, saying that they “deeply regret any distress” the incident may have caused.
"The QCPD extends its sincere apologies to the Gibbs family regarding the recent incident where a member of our police force inappropriately took a video of the late Mr. Ronaldo Valdez. We acknowledge the gravity of this lapse in judgment of some of our personnel, and we deeply regret any distress this may have caused," the QCPD said in a statement.
They added that the eight cops who were involved in the incident will be dismissed, while four original uploaders of the video will be charged.
According to a report by GMA News, five police officers have been dismissed and are facing administrative charges, including neglect of duty and grave misconduct, while three other personnel will be charged with neglect of duty.
Four identified original uploaders are also subject to charges for violating R.A. 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and R.A. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The QCPD said that they are ready to file the criminal case once the Gibbs family decides to file a complaint.
This comes after Janno Gibbs demanded an apology from the police over lapses from their investigation on his father’s death, including the leaked footage. The actor, however, said they won’t press any charges as they don’t want to relive the trauma from the incident.
"I’ve thought about it. At first, I wanted to but naisip ko no amount of damages, pera, no amount of that can erase yung trauma. Nandyan na eh, nangyari na," he explained.
"It’s already there at nandito pa rin. We’re still traumatized. Kahit na maparusahan pa sila, traumatized na kami. Ano pang makukuha namin dun? I didn't need to do this but 'yun na nga lang it’s for reference, for cautionary tale. Let this be a cautionary tale," the actor added.
In December 2023, the QCPD dismissed two policemen and a police station chief following the leakage of the video.
Valdez was found in his room on Dec. 17 with a gunshot wound in his head. The veteran actor was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Since the gun was found in his room, all of his home companions underwent paraffin and ballistic tests as part of the standard operating procedure of the investigation. The results turned out to be negative.