MANILA, Philippines -- A policeman charged a member of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) with direct assault for punching him and challenging him to a fistfight as he was pacifying the latter in a quarrel in Quezon City.

Police Officer 3 Marlo Samoy, 34, detailed with the Directorate for Intelligence and Detective Management (DIDM) in Camp Crame, of North Olympus, Novaliches, lodged late Monday afternoon the complaint before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office against MMDA employee Jerome Bolivar.

In the complaint, Samoy claimed that Bolivar punched him at 9 a.m. on August 1 at the corner of EDSA and Timog Avenue in Kamuning near the MMDA extension office under the flyover.

Bolivar was allegedly having an argument with a certain Bartolome Calimag, prompting Samoy to intercede and pacify the two after introducing himself as a police officer.

Bolivar allegedly told Samoy off and reportedly punched him on the left eye. The police officer then tried to handcuff Bolivar but the MMDA man resisted and even allegedly challenged Samoy to a fistfight.

When Samoy was ready to deliver Bolivar to the nearest police station, other MMDA personnel intervened in his behalf, preventing the DIDM cop from bringing Bolivar to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) station 10.