Probe of ‘abusive’ water exec sought

LUCENA CITY—The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Quezon chapter on Thursday assailed the head of Quezon Metropolitan Water District (QMWD) here for the verbal abuse of a local reporter on Wednesday.

According to Ronald Agbaya, 41, local TV and radio reporter, he was interviewing the QMWD information officer when, all of a sudden, the general manager of the water agency, Enrico Pasumbal, came out of his office shouting “You’re insane! P….ina ka (SOB)” at Agbaya.

Agbaya said he didn’t know what triggered the outburst. “I told him that I just wanted to get his side,” Agbaya said.

He said he had an audio recording of the incident in his mobile phone. Another reporter witnessed it.

Agbaya said he was following up a report on an accident involving a QMWD service vehicle that slammed into another vehicle. Police had said the QMWD vehicle driver was drunk.

Agbaya said he was checking reports that QMWD was trying to cover up the the story.

The Inquirer called up Pasumbal on Thursday for his statement but he was out, according to his secretary Carlos Abris. There was also no response to the request for a return call.

Ronilo Dagos, NUJP Quezon president, condemned Pasumbal’s treatment of Agbaya, a member of NUJP.

Dagos said Agbaya was just doing his job. He said the NUJP would file administrative complaints against Pasumbal at the Local Water Utilities Administration and Civil Service Commission.

NUJP, Dagos said, would also ask Quezon Governor David Suarez to order an investigation of Pasumbal. Agbaya also reported the incident to the Lucena police.