‘Bully’ in viral video now in jail

MANILA, Philippines — Businessman Arnold Padilla, who was arrested after being caught on video bullying and beating up traffic enforcers in Makati, is now staying in a regular cell at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), an official said yesterday.

Padilla is sharing a cell with 36 other detainees at the NCRPO’s detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, NCRPO chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said.

Padilla was rushed to St. Luke’s Medical Center immediately after his arrest on Aug. 24 after his blood pressure shot up.

Police said he was hiding in his car when lawmen raided his house and apartment in Magallanes Village, where several firearms and at least two grenades where found.

Padilla was brought out on a stretcher following his arrest and that of his bodyguard, Alfie Ortiz, on charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives.

He was brought to the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, where his guards reportedly caught him spitting out his medicine.

“Because Padilla’s blood pressure is back to normal, we deemed its necessary to transfer to a regular cell inside the NCRPO headquarters,” said Eleazar in an interview.

Personnel of the NCRPO’s health service are closely monitoring Padilla’s blood pressure.

Eleazar said Padilla’s lawyers, headed by Raymond Fortun, did not object to having their client stay in a regular jail cell.

Padilla was discharged from the Philippine National Police General Hospital last Tuesday after his blood pressure was reported at 150/90.

He was brought to the investigation room of the NCRPO’s Regional Special Operation Unit while his blood pressure was being monitored.

Padilla was charged before the Makati City prosecutor’s office but his lawyers waived the preliminary investigation of the case against him.

Padilla, his partner and bodyguards hit the headlines earlier this month after they were caught on closed-circuit television footage verbally and physically abusing the traffic enforcers who pulled them over for beating the red light near the gate of Magallanes Village along EDSA.