News crew, lawmaker's staff swap blows, raps

MANILA, Philippines - An ABS-CBN news team and a group filing a complaint at a police station in Quezon City ended up in police custody after engaging in physical and verbal altercation early Sunday morning.

The news team filed charges of grave coercion, slight physical injury, malicious mischief and robbery against Luche Grace Maulion, Mary Jane Maulion and Eddie Masaron.

The other camp, on the other hand, countered with charges of unjust vexation against dzMM reporter Dexter Joie Ganibe and cameraman Benedicto Ganelo.

According to a report, Maulion’s group went to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6 to report an altercation she had with a neighbor in Barangay Old Balara.

However, she said that while her group was talking with the police, the news team arrived at around 3 a.m. and started filming them.

Maulion said they asked the news team to stop covering their filing of the complaint since they were not public personalities.

According to reports, the group allegedly attacked the reporter and the cameraman when the two did not heed the request.

QCPD-Station 6 commander Superintendent Antonio Yarra said Maulion’s group grabbed the camera to get hold of the tape inside it. The tape is “missing” at the moment.

A witness said the group stabbed Ganelo with a ball pen, grabbed his camera, then took the tape and threw it away. The same witness said one of the Maulions picked up the tape and hid it.

Ganibe and Ganelo sustained injuries while the camera reportedly was damaged.

Yarra said both camps were placed in police custody because of the counter charges.

He said the news crew was eventually released Monday morning since the city prosecutor subjected the unjust vexation case filed against them to further investigation.

Maulion’s camp, who were reportedly members of Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar’s staff, were released after posting bail worth P26,000 each.

“There was no breach of procedure. Our police pacified and effected the arrest because they (both camps) were no longer respecting the station,” Yarra told reporters over the phone.

He added that they will file charges of disrespect to agents of authority against both camps for “disrespecting the (police) station.”

Following allegations of media repression, Yarra maintained that “everything was legal and within the normal procedure.”

“There was no arbitrary detention. They were under custodial investigation. Both parties were represented by their lawyers,” he said.

Metro Manila police chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil visited the QCPD-Station 6 and maintained that the policemen were impartial and did not take any side in the incident.