3 Crame cops face probe for harassing, detaining reporter

Three Camp Crame-based police officers are now facing charges of grave misconduct, harassment, and illegal detention before the National Police Commission (Napolcom) for allegedly holding a tabloid reporter against her will just because she was wearing a sleeveless blouse.

Lordeth Bonilla, who covers the southern Metro beat for Pilipino Star Ngayon (PSN), filed a complaint against the trio for allegedly harassing and hauling her to jail for violating a dress code that she did not know about.

She identified the police officers as Chief Inspector Joel Ada, Senior Police Officer 3 Ricardo Fernandez Macose and Police Officer 2 Sheryll Suan of the Headquarters Support Service.

Bonilla said she felt degraded over how she was treated by the policemen when she entered the premises of Camp Crame last June 20 to meet a fellow reporter who was waiting for her at the office of Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao.

Upon entering the sentry gate she was allegedly accosted by Suan for wearing a sleeveless blouse and barred her from entering the camp.

Bonilla said she tried to explain that she did not know about the dress code.

She was then taken to the Base Camp Office, where the incident was placed on record. She was prevented from leaving and held for more than an hour.

Ada and Macose allegedly interrogated her as to why she was wearing a sleeveless blouse and was asked the details of her job as a reporter.

Bonilla said she contacted the friend she was supposed to meet and informed her that she was being "detained."

Napolcom vice chairperson and executive officer Imelda Roces said she forwarded the complaint to the Inspection, Monitoring, and Investigation Service (IMIS) for investigation.

Roces noted that the police officers must answer the charges during the conduct of the probe to determine if they committed abuse of authority or not. — Michael Punongbayan