Peewee’s supporters clash with cops in Pasay; 1 arrested

Police arrested one of suspended Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad’s supporters after he allegedly punched a police officer in the face when the latter and several other policemen tried to block a march yesterday.

Allan Bensan, 35, was arrested for attacking Police Officer 1 Marlon Elegado, according to police.

Witnesses said Trinidad’s supporters met at the Pasay City Sports Complex and trooped to the house of the local chief executive, who, along with his vice mayor and 10 councilors, was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman over an allegedly anomalous garbage collection contract.

After a short activity, the group marched back to where they came from, but was met by a group of policemen who blocked their path.

Tension gripped the area when Trinidad’s supporters tried to go through the barricade and it was during the commotion that Bensan allegedly punched Elegado.

Meanwhile, acting Mayor Allan Panaligan said that he is now working on restoring order at City Hall.

"My intention here is to protect the public interest and move on," Panaligan said in an interview adding that most of the department heads have been cooperating and respecting his leadership.

"So far normalized na ang situation sa Pasay City Hall and I leave it to the Pasay City police to handle the demonstrations outside," he said.

Panaligan said yesterday that the remaining obstacle to ferret out the truth about the controversial P464-million garbage contract has been removed," adding that "the Office of the Ombudsman can now gain access to all documents related to the questioned deal."

The acting Pasay mayor ordered all departments "to make every voucher and every document available to Ombudsman investigators so that the people of Pasay City can know the truth."