TV cameraman hurt after commotion in Caloocan resort, two men arrested

Closure order on Gubat sa Ciudad resort in Caloocan City. Image from Caloocan PIO

MANILA, Philippines — A cameraman from TV-5 was hurt after two men allegedly took turns punching him while taking videos of people loaded inside a jeepney on their way inside the Gubat sa Ciudad resort in Caloocan City.

The resort was ordered closed on Sunday for breaching COVID-19 health protocols.

The victim was identified as Arnel Tugade, who claimed his assailants ganged up on him, as he tried to get videos of people going inside the resort.

“Nung pag-zoom out ko, dun ko na nakita na pasugod na itong sumuntok sa akin, hinawakan nina yung lente ng camera, sabay ji-nab ako, wala na akong nagawa,” he said in a television interview Monday.

(When I zoomed out my camera, that’s when I saw them about to attack me. They held my camera’s lenses then jabbed me, I was helpless.)

Police arrested brothers Daniel and Dennis Cawigan, who admitted to hitting Tugade, but only because he had hit his brother first with his own camera.

“Pinalo niya po ng camera yung kapatid ko, hindi naman namamalayan ng kapatid ko, inaangat niya yung mga bata na isakay sa jeep, hindi namamalayan ng kapatid ko na natatakpan niya yung camera,” Dennis explained, referring to Daniel.

(He hit my brother with his camera, my brother did not know that he was blocking the camera, because he was lifting the children to load them on the jeep.)

Caloocan Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan has already ordered the closure of the resort on Sunday for violating quarantine rules.

Latest coronavirus count in Caloocan is now at 28,206 including 1,374 active cases, 26,026 recoveries, and 806 deaths.

EDV