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Monday, July 17, 2006
Broadcaster mauled by bodyguards
A RADIO broadcaster from Bacolod City was reportedly mauled by the bodyguards of the vice mayor of Gen. Trias town in Cavite Province Sunday afternoon.
The incident happened after some members of the Bacolod media group, who were on an IT exposure trip with Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, tried to negotiate for the release of a 15-year-old girl from Bacolod who was working in one of the relatives of Vice Mayor Nolito Magallanes.
This as the girl is needed for the planned rescue operation of three other Bacoleña girls (all minors) who are said to be working in Laguna.
The negotiation, however, turned-out into worse when Magallanes reportedly ordered his bodyguards to maul Cerge Santillan, a City Hall reporter of RMN-DYHB in Bacolod.
In a telephone interview, Santillan told Sun.Star that three of the vice-mayor's bodyguards berated him first. Later, one of them boxed him twice on the stomach despite his withdrawal from the area.
"I even heard Vice Mayor Magallanes who was shouting on his bodyguards to maul me. I opted to run because they threatened to kill me," Santillan claimed.
He added that he escaped from the house of the vice mayor and took a tricycle to the General Trias town proper.
Batapa-Sigue could not be reached for comment as of press time. Her cellular phone was turned-off.
But a report said she was still in the police station in Gen. Trias reporting the incident to the police.
Sigue reportedly has the affidavits of the parents of the children who earlier went to her office to ask for assistance in rescuing their children in Cavite
and Laguna.
The parents told Sigue about the location of the 15-year-old who is said to be under the employ of the Magallanes family.
But while negotiating, Santillan said he saw how Batapa-Sigue was berated by Magallanes' people.
Sigue, on the other hand, relayed to Levi Trio, reporter of Aksyon Radyo Bacolod that she is doing okay, adding that she was able to talk with the minor after the situation calmed down.
Together with Santillan and Sigue were Mylen Dayo, Jovy Dasal, Fernando Leyte and Obet del Castillo, all from ABS-CBN Manila; and Rebecca Ballesteros and Marichel Escalante, both from the Visayan Forum Foundation.
(July 17, 2006 issue)
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