Family cries foul over arrest of woman in Zamboanga City

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Joy Alaan Hajan, 29, a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia, wept when she saw the viral video showing her traumatized children forcibly dragged out of their shanty in Zambowood, a village 12 kilometers away from the city proper, to give way to a demolition.

The mother of four children told the Inquirer she was heartbroken, horrified, and helpless when a viral video showing her children being dragged by the police reached her social media feed.

“My heart crumbled. My children were traumatized. They had just arrived from school and hadn’t taken their lunch yet, when the police did it,” she said in a Messenger interview on Monday.

Almost a week ago, on April 11, personnel of the Zamboanga City Police Station 5, stormed the house of her sister Myra Salvador Alaan, 38, and dragged her out of the house after she splashed hot water at Sherif Irvin Noel Guangco, 54, who was serving the court order to demolish the houses owned by the Herrera family, among them the house where she lived with Hajan’s four children.

Guangco reported the incident to the police, who immediately arrested Alaan.

The police were in Alaan’s house to arrest her when her common-law husband, Jovie Montecillo Casipong, 42, arrived from the Boalan Elementary School with Hajan’s four children, whom he picked up from school for lunch.

When he saw the police trying to arrest his wife, he immediately got hold of his wife and Hajan’s children followed.

The viral video showed a commotion, where police officers used force to detach the children from Alaan and drag them out of the house. Police carried Alaan outside the house and forced her and her partner to board a police vehicle. Neighbors affected by the demolition took the video of the incident and posted it on social media.

The police did not release any statement on the incident, but a police blotter obtained on Sunday, April 16, stated that Alaan and Casipong committed a violation of Article 148 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for assaulting a person of authority and Presidential Decree 1829 or obstruction of justice.

Hajan, who spoke in Tagalog, said her sister and her partner were supposed to be released immediately after paying P8,000 for bail but after the video went viral, the arresting policemen allowed them to post bail only after 15 days. “My sister is sick and I was informed her body is covered with bruises. Neighbors helping them were not allowed to visit my sister,” Hajan said.

Dr. Lolina Necesario Bajin, a clinical and counseling psychologist, said the arresting policemen failed to consider the provisions of Republic Act 9262, an act defining violence against women and children; and Republic Act 7610, an act providing stronger deterrence and special protection against child abuse, exploitation, and discrimination when they conducted the arrest.

“It was a heart wrenching video, an incident that was very traumatic for children and even for adults,” Bajin said.

“Before they arrest any individual, (they should have considered) these two (Republic Acts) as basis. I also recommend that the (affected) families seek help and guidance from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) (with these) videos to show,” Bajin added.

Daniel Paculanang, the CHR promotion division officer-in-charge, said they already submitted a report to their regional director regarding the incident.

“Unless there are violations committed during the arrest and subsequent detention, we presume that there is regularity in the performance of the duties of the authorities,” he said.

Hajan pleaded for justice and for the police to discipline the officers who manhandled her children during the arrest of her sister.

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