Courtesy of TeleRadyo Serbisyo

A police official on Monday denied an allegation he is protecting an ex-cop caught on video toting a gun at a cyclist during a road rage incident.

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Police Brig Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Quezon City Police District Director, confirmed sending a text message to the cyclist involved but denied telling him not to file charges against the ex-cop, identified as Wilfredo Gonzales.

Viral video earlier showed the ex-cop slapping and brandishing a gun at a cyclist who had bumped into his vehicle.

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Lawyer Raymond Fortun, a cycling enthusiast, earlier said he talked to cyclist "AB" (name withheld for his protection) who confirmed he had been receiving threats from several individuals to dissuade him from pursuing a lawsuit against the ex-cop.

"As of last night all the way until 1030 [p.m.], nagsabi na siya sa akin dahil sa matinding pananakot na ginagawa sa kanya ng [Philippine National Police] pati po yung General Torre daw tumawag sa kanya, kahit sinong tao pati heneral na 'yung tumawag na wag mo nang isampa 'yung kaso, huwag ka nang mangialam. Nagdesisyon na 'yung pamilya na huwag nang ituloy 'yung kriminal na demanda," Fortun said in an interview on TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

He said that aside from the cyclist, a motorist who was able to take a video of the road rage incident has also received threats and had to take down the video.

Torre, however, denied pressuring or sending a threat to the cyclist.

"Never ko pang nakausap itong siklista na ito. Hindi ko pa siya nakakaharap. Ngayon ko lang ito nalaman. Tinetext ko siya pero hindi naman niya ako sinasagot until last night," Torre said in a separate TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

He said he only texted the cyclist to ask if he could speak with him before Gonzales' 5 p.m. presscon but the cyclist said he did not want to talk to just anyone.

Asked why he, a district director, would send a text message to the cyclist instead of delegating the task, he said: "Dito sa Quezon City police ito ang aking leadership style. Nakita ko na napakasensitibo ng bagay na ito. Hindi ko basta basta i-delegate na lang..."

"Naisip ko lang para pinakamabilis, itanong sa kanya kung ano ang totoo rito dahil ang kabilang side nagke-claim na nagsettle na sila at may pinapakita na papel na nagsettle."

"Pwede naman idelegate pero kung kayo ay kumukulay, kung kinukulayan niyo ng malisya yung pagtatawag dun sa tao personally na pwede ko naman idelegate sa PO1 na sinasabi niyo, nagkakamali kayo diyan. I am denying that and I am very offended with that kind of insinuation."

He said he would not become a police general if he sent threatening text messages to individuals. "Napaka-bobo naman na gawin ng isang pulis yan, may record pa...That is a very stupid and a very irresponsible insinuation," he said.

He noted that Gonzales "had nothing to offer" and was "way below his salary grade."

He said he only presented Gonzales in a press conference because the latter had surrendered to him.

He also said the road rage incident had been "blown out of proportion" because of the viral video and encouraged Fortun and other potential witnesses to come forward and file a case against Gonzales.

"Noong August 8 pa ito nangyari at tahimik ang lahat. Naayos nila ang kanilang sigalot na wala naman nag complain na pormal sa pulis na nagpatuloy. Na settle nila ang kanilang problema. Ngayon itong incident was blown out of proportion because of viral video of a third party," he said.

Fortun earlier said he will file a complaint with the Land Transportation Office to revoke Gonzales' driver's license "for driving in a reckless manner that threatened the life of AB."

He said he will also furnish a copy of the video "to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, for them to decide whether the same can be the basis for a congressional investigation, in aid of legislation, in order that the August 8,2023 incident will not be repeated and that the citizenry would feel safer as they traverse our streets."