Broadcast journalist Anthony “Tunying” Taberna has set social media abuzz with his recent interview with a dismissed cop.

The hot topic of discussion is his conversation with Wilfredo “Willie” Gonzales, a man who gained notoriety for his involvement in a now-viral road rage incident.

In the interview, Gonzales, infamous for his altercation with a cyclist near Welcome Rotunda in Quezon City, made a repeated, and as it turns out, debunked claim that he is a retired police officer.

Initial reports indeed labeled him as “retired,” but subsequent revelations clarified that he was dismissed from police service in 2017 due to grave misconduct.

The distinction between “retired” and “dismissed” holds significant weight in the context of the Philippine government. The former implies a voluntary departure from the police force upon reaching the mandatory retirement age, while the latter signifies removal from the force, potentially resulting in the loss of entitlement to a pension.

Taberna’s interview quickly ignited a firestorm of criticism from netizens who have been closely following this case.

Many condemned the dismissed cop for his perceived lack of remorse, arrogance, and gaslighting tendencies. During the interview, Gonzales shockingly asserted that he was the victim and justified in drawing his gun, even suggesting he would not have hesitated to use it during the altercation with the cyclist.

His insinuation that the cyclist might have had something dangerous in his belt bag raised eyebrows.

Gonzales stated, “Lagi po yang may laman na tools. Either screwdriver, Philip screw, o cutter. Siyempre, bilang matagal akong pulis operatiba, imbestigador din, yong tingin ko sa mata niya na gusto niya akong sunggaban, matapos ko siyang batukan, yong kamay niya po, pahawak na po dun sa zipper ng bag niya. Kaya hindi po ako magdadalawang isip na barilin siya kung sinunggaban niya po ako.”

However, netizens couldn’t help but notice that Gonzales’s behavior and statements underscore the pressing need for better training and evaluation of police officers. A trained law enforcement professional, they argued, would have handled the situation differently.

One X user commented, “No remorse… this dismissed policeman should be arrested, charged, and detained.”

Throughout the interview, Gonzales displayed no remorse for his actions and instead shifted the blame onto cyclists for the road rage incident. He also criticized netizens for not being “responsible” and fair to him and his family.

Some netizens went as far as condemning Taberna for giving the dismissed cop a platform.

Another X netizen commented, “Ang weird talaga nito si Tunying. Binigyan pa platform. Hilig ata kumampi ata sa baluktot.” (Tunying is really strange. He even gave him a platform. Seems to side with the crooked.)

Kouya, another netizen, minced no words, stating, “Binigyan pa ni Tunying ng platform yung nang-aargabyado. Noh basta talaga apologist walang moral compass.” (Tunying gave a platform to the one who was abusing others. Really, some people are apologists without a moral compass.)

In a related development, Supreme Court Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario took swift action after learning about Gonzales’s involvement in the road rage. Gonzales, who was previously connected to Rosario’s office as a co-terminus employee, was terminated. Justice Rosario is set to retire in October 2028.