Cell phone snatching cop promoted anew

MANILA, Philippines — For the second time in seven days, a ranking police official who snatched a reporter’s phone during the Nazarene procession was promoted again — this time to the second-highest position in the capital region — amid a nationwide reshuffle at the Philippine National Police.

Police Brig. Gen. Nolasco Bathan, who was appointed last Friday as National Capital Regional Police Office deputy director for operations, was promoted one office higher as deputy director for administration a week later.

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa signed Bathan’s designation papers on Feb. 12. Bathan, who was Davao region deputy director for operations, was most recently assigned to the Southern Police District when he was accused of snatching veteran GMA reporter Jun Veneracion’s phone during the Nazarene procession while the latter was recording a video of a devotee being held in a chokehold by a volunteer while a police officer dragged him to the pavement. The video was later deleted from his phone on Bathan’s order. —Krixia Subingsubing