MANILA, Philippines - A Manila-based ABS-CBN radio reporter was harassed and threatened by members of the local police in Pola, Oriental Mindoro Thursday night on account of taking unsolicited video footage and political partisanship issue.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Press Corps President Noel Alamar of DzMM said that his camera was snatched by Pola Chief Inspector Telesforo Domingo, together with his men, clad in civilian clothes and sporting high-powered firearms around 9:30 on Thursday night.
Alamar told Camp Crame reporters in a teleconference on Friday that he was tipped by townmates in Pola of political leaning among the Pola police, which violates the order of Chief PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa about remaining a political days before the May 10 elections. Verzosa also gave directions not to follow illegal orders from politicians.
After checking the veracity of the tip, Alamar was surprised when Chief Insp. Domingo visited him early on Thursday at their ancestral house as they were commemorating the first death anniversary of his mother.
Apparently drunk, Chief Insp. Domingo asked him, “Sino ka ba?” [“Who are you?”]
The radio reporter immediately informed Mimaropa Regional Police Director, Chief Superintendent Paul Mascariñas and Oriental Mindoro Police Chief, Senior Superintendent Sonny Ricablanca what transpired, and they agreed to look into the complaint against Domingo.
Later on Thursday, Alamar went to the house of Pola Mayor-elect Panganiban. There, the DzMM reporter saw a mobile patrol vehicle parked in front of the house of Mayor-elect Panganiban at Barangay Zone 2 around 9:30 in the evening.
Chief Insp. Domingo was at the front seat and Alamar noticed that he and two other policemen in the vehicle were carrying guns while wearing only civilian clothes—a clear violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
Alamar took out his camera to videotape and document what he saw, but Chief Insp. Domingo spotted him and reportedly threatened to shoot him after snatching his camera.
Furthermore, Chief Insp. Domingo ordered his men to arrest Alamar for “obstruction of Justice” and also ordered his men to open fire at the civilians trying to protect the reporter.
Alamar voluntarily gave up resistance and entered the police vehicle but Pola residents took him out and
brought him inside the house of Mayor-elect Panganiban.
Additional police were sent in the area and barricaded the house but hundreds of people prevented them from arresting the Manila-based ABS-CBN reporter by forming human barricades.
Cooler heads intervened led by outgoing Mayor Alex Aranas and other policemen from the provincial mobile group, including Provincial Dir. Sr. Supt. Ricablanca, who ordered a full investigation of the incident.
In 2008, Chief Insp. Domingo was sacked as the town police chief of Victoria, also in Oriental Mindoro, after figuring in the shooting of a man in Mabini town in Batangas.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman, Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina told Crame reporters in an interview that PNP Chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has ordered the removal of Domingo pending investigations. (Sammy Martin and Roselle Aquino)
Link:http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/17876-abs-cbn-reporter-harassed-by-policemen-in-oriental-mindoro
Showing posts with label Mindoro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mindoro. Show all posts
Saturday, May 22, 2010
ABS-CBN reporter harassed by policemen in Oriental Mindoro: The Manila Times
Friday, July 03, 2009
Policeman held for reporter death in the Philippines
A policeman in the Philippines has been arrested for the murder of journalist Crispin Perez on June 9, the BBC said.
It said the shooting, in central Mindoro Occidental province, is one of scores of alleged murders of journalists by members of the security forces.
The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places for reporters, and conviction of the killers is rare.
Mr Perez was a lawyer and former provincial vice-governor who hosted his own show on Radio DWDO.
The latest attack on a journalist took place last week, when radio commentator Jonathan Petalvero, in southern Agusan del Sur province, was killed. No arrest has been made.
The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) said five journalists were killed last year and 59 have been killed since 2001, when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power. (BBC)
It said the shooting, in central Mindoro Occidental province, is one of scores of alleged murders of journalists by members of the security forces.
The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places for reporters, and conviction of the killers is rare.
Mr Perez was a lawyer and former provincial vice-governor who hosted his own show on Radio DWDO.
The latest attack on a journalist took place last week, when radio commentator Jonathan Petalvero, in southern Agusan del Sur province, was killed. No arrest has been made.
The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) said five journalists were killed last year and 59 have been killed since 2001, when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power. (BBC)
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Former Mindoro politician killed
Mindoro Occidental province. (Wikipedia)MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 9, 2009) – A man stabbed dead a former provincial deputy governor on Tuesday in an attack outside a radio station in San Jose town in the central Philippine province of Mindoro Occidental, reports said.
Reports said that lawyer Crispin Perez was attacked shortly after he stepped out around 9 a.m. from the radio station where he had a program, according to the television network GMA 7.
It said the 66-year old former politician died on his way to hospital.But another network, ABS-CBN reported that Perez was attacked in his house at around 10 a.m.
It quoted police investigators as saying that a man who pretended as someone in need of Perez's legal services stabbed him repeatedly in the body.
It was unknown whether the attack was connected to his job as a lawyer or an old feud.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
NPA Ambush Kills 5 Cops In Mindoro Province
MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 10 May) – Five policemen were killed in an ambush Thursday by communist insurgents in the town of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro province, officials said.
Officials said six others were injured the attack after New People’s Army rebels detonated a landmine as a patrol car was passing in the village of Batasan. The policemen were part of a group protecting the provincial governor, Josephine Sato.
Army Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, Southern Luzon Command chief, said the ambush occurred at around 7.30 a.m. He said some 30 rebels also opened fire on the police car, sparking a firefight between the two groups.
Sato was to campaign in the village when the rebels attack. At least 14 policemen were in the patrol car when the rebels ambushed them.
“Security forces are pursuing the attackers,” Yano said.
Sato, a staunch government supporter, condemned the attack. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which is fighting for a separate Maoist state in the country. (Juley Reyes)
Officials said six others were injured the attack after New People’s Army rebels detonated a landmine as a patrol car was passing in the village of Batasan. The policemen were part of a group protecting the provincial governor, Josephine Sato.
Army Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, Southern Luzon Command chief, said the ambush occurred at around 7.30 a.m. He said some 30 rebels also opened fire on the police car, sparking a firefight between the two groups.
Sato was to campaign in the village when the rebels attack. At least 14 policemen were in the patrol car when the rebels ambushed them.
“Security forces are pursuing the attackers,” Yano said.
Sato, a staunch government supporter, condemned the attack. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which is fighting for a separate Maoist state in the country. (Juley Reyes)
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