Cop accused of assault by lady driver ‘stressed out’ by social media backlash

MANILA, Philippines — The police officer, who was accused of assaulting a female Grab driver admitted that he is getting “very stressed” by the criticism that he is getting from social media following  their off-road altercation.

At one point, Police Captain Ronald Saquilayan, chief investigator of Pateros police, said he would rather wish that he was killed by a hired assassin than be an object of social media bashing.

“Actually, very stressful. Minsan sabi ko mas maganda pang I was killed by a hired assassin rather than being murdered over social media,” Saquilayan said.

(Actually, very stressful. Sometimes I would say it is better if  I was killed by a hired assassin rather than being murdered over social media.)

“Kapag nabaril ka, napatay. Tapos na. Hindi mo na alam mangyayari. In this thing, I don’t know kung paano pi-pick-up-in pagkalat ng anything against me. For the rest of my life, nandiyan yung report na ‘to,” he added.

(If you get shot, you get killed and it’s done. You don’t know what will happen next. In this thing, I don’t know how to pick it up. For the rest of my life, this report is with me.)

Saquilayan also lamented that his child would even ask him if he will lose his job over the incident.

“‘Yung anak ko nagwoworry kung mawawalan akong trabaho… sabi ko, just trust me and just trust God,” he said.

(My child would even worry if I would lose my job. I said, just trust me and just trust God.)

On Oct. 7, Tuesday, Grab driver Mary Florence Norial had a heated confrontation with Saquilayan in Taguig City. She was asking the policeman, who was onboard his vehicle, to leave the driveway of the coffee shop so she can move out.

However, the law enforcer said he could not leave as he is still waiting for his daughter, who is buying food at the shop.

Saquilayan accused Norial of hitting him using his car door, which struck him on the head.

But Norial, in another Facebook post, said the police officer reportedly hit her using his car door. She admitted that she slapped the lawman but she said it was “self-defense” because the policeman was trying to apprehend her.

Norial is still detained at a Taguig police station and is facing complaints for alarm and scandal, direct assault, and disobedience of a person in authority. The Taguig prosecutor’s office has yet to issue a resolution on her case.

‘No denial of rights’

Saquilayan, meanwhile, narrated that he was following protocols on arresting Norial, whom he said allegedly assaulted him during an altercation at a coffee shop in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City.

“Nung pinasok ko na sa Starbucks, doon ko na siya binitawan. Hindi po siya pinabayaan sa Starbuck’s kasi under arrest na po siya and even before hawak ko sa labas ng Starbucks, ako nagsabi sa guard: ‘guard tumawag ka ng police assistance.’ Kasi yun ang protocol, you have to turn over the person dun sa police station,” Saquilayan said in an interview with reporters at Southern Police District (SPD) Headquarters in Taguig City.

(When I entered Starbucks, that’s when I let her go. However, I did not leave her at Stabucks because she is still under arrest and even before I was apprehending her at Starbucks, I already notified the guard, “Guard call police assistance.” Because that is the protocol, you have to turn over the person at the police station.)

“Hindi ko naman pwede isakay sa aking sasakyan kaya ginawa ko ang protocol kung paano mag-aresto at noong nandoon kami sa loob ng Starbucks, pinabayaan ko siya mag-video,” he added.

(I can’t transport her to the police using my own car so I followed the protocol on the arrest and while we were at the Starbucks, I allowed her to take a video.)

On allegations of violating Norial’s rights, he further said Norial was not deprived of calling her lawyer during the arrest.

“In the time of the event, yung cellphone niya (Norial), hawak niya po. ‘Yung sinasabi niya, she was denied to call a lawyer, hawak niya po cellphone niya. Sa (Taguig) sub station, dumating ang kapatid niya at boyfriend so she had all the time na tumawag ng lawyer so walang denial of right na sinasabi nila,” Saquilayan said.

(In the time of the event, she was holding her cellphone. What she was saying was that she was denied the right to call a lawyer, she was holding her cellphone at that time. At the Taguig Sub Station, her sibling and boyfriend arrived so she had all the time to call a lawyer so there was no denial of rights.)