Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has ordered the relief of PNP personnel who allegedly participated in an April Fools’ Day prank video set up by civilians.
According to the Angeles City Information Office, the prank video which was posted on the social media page of SY Music Entertainment on Friday, April 2 “showed an individual supposedly being arrested by uniformed personnel using an official vehicle from the PNP.”
In the video that has 1.5 million views as of writing, the alleged cops identified themselves as being from “Police Station 5.”
Following their involvement in the “nonsensical activity,” Mayor Lazatin directed Angeles City Police Office director PCol. Rommel Batangan to relieve immediately “all personnel from PNP Station 5”, as well as investigate and file appropriate charges against the police officers in the “pranking incident”.
“These actions are disadvantageous to the best interest of the government as it not only makes use of government property for a senseless ‘prank’ but also undermines the efforts of the entire Local Government Unit to implement public health protocols,” said Lazatin.
All other individuals involved in the prank video will also be investigated for ignoring health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such as not wearing face masks, non-observance of social distancing protocols and violating the prohibition on mass gatherings.
SY Music Entertainment, which maintains several social media platforms including a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers, is also facing closure and suspension to operate due to breach of public health protocols.
As of Friday, April 2, Angeles City Pampanga has recorded 2,980 recorded total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
