Video by Cathy Miranda/INQUIRER.net
PNP Chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said they would file charges against protesters who mauled two policemen gathering information about the militants in Quezon City hours before President Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address (Sona) Monday.
“We are readying charges against those who mauled our personnel,” Marquez told reporters after inspecting riot policemen guarding the security line along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
Militants said they enforced “citizen’s arrest” and detained for several hours Police Officer 1 Reden Malagonio and a certain “Espinosa Crisostomo Reyes.” They were seen taking pictures of protesters from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Southern Luzon.
Chief Inspector Rodelio Marcelo, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District, later identified the mauled policemen as Malagonio and Chief Inspector Antonio Ananayao Jr.
Marcelo said they were both assigned to the Regional Public Safety Battalion.
Radio reports identified “Reyes” as a member of media in Mindanao who was also accosted and “arrested” by the militants.
The two men, according to human rights group Karapatan, tried to join the ranks of the demonstrators assembled outside Ever Gotesco Mall a few meters from the police barricades.
“That’s part of their job para malaman natin kung anong nangyayari sa kapaligiran natin,” (We need to know what’s happening around us) Marquez said.
QCPD director Chief Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said Ananayao and Malagonio suffered minor injuries.
Pagdilao said the two lawmen underwent medico-legal examination at Camp Karingal, headquarters of QCPD.
The scuffle started when Ananayao and Magalonio tried to escape from the militants, who ran after them and mauled them.
Karapatan said their members gave first-aid treatment to the policemen.
Meanwhile, Marquez appealed to the protesters that like the police, they should exercise maximum tolerance.
“We gave them space to air their grievances. Sana hanggang doon lang. Sana wala nang hakbang na magdudulot pa ng kaguluhan,” Marquez said.
Police are expecting at least 10,000 protesters to troop to Commonwealth Avenue.
PNP chief Dir. Gen. Ricardo Marquez inspects policemen at the Sona security line along Commonwealth Avenue.