Police clearance issuance interrupted by birthday party?

The issuance of police clearances in Quezon City Hall was seemingly interrupted by the celebration of a birthday party.

In a "24 Oras" report from Jun Veneracion on Wednesday, the queue for a police clearance was long in a viral video, with no employee in sight to man the front desk.

While it was suspected that the line was only momentarily paused to sing for the birthday celebrant, the netizen said that it seemed like the staffers got carried away.

The netizen pointed out that there should be noontime break at the city hall, yet no one was at the service stations during that time. The netizen, who just came from the hospital, just endured the hunger.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte took notice of the viral post, who informed the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

The QCPD then investigated the matter, and relieved the chief of the police clearance team at the city hall.

“Yung buong police clearance team, and they were made to explain what happened kasi due process naman lahat ito…We are inviting yung tao kung nakunan man niya to help us,” Philippine National Police spokesperson Police Colonel Allan Rae Co said.

(The whole police clearance team, and they were made to explain what happened because all of this will undergo due process… We are inviting the person who took the video to help us.)

The QCPD explained that lunch breaks for police were supposed to be taken by turn so that the processing and issuance of police clearance is not interrupted.

The computer log showed that there were continuous transactions during the timeframe as mentioned by the netizen. From 11:40 a.m. to 12:13 p.m., there were 29 police clearances issued, according to QCPD Public Information Office Chief Police Major Jennifer Gannaban.

Their initial investigation showed that there was someone who had a birthday celebration that day. While there was singing, it did not last too long.

“Kung may makikitang lapses nga po sa conduct ng ating mga personnel during that time wala pong tinotolerate ang QCPD mag-file po tayo ng appropriate administrative charges if warranted,” Gannaban said.

(If we see any lapses in the conduct of our personnel during that time, the QCPD does not tolerate this and will file the appropriate administrative charges if warranted.) — Jean Mangaluz/BAP, GMA News