A RETIRED member of the Philippine Marine Corps was injured after he was involved in a commotion with a government employee at the downtown area in Bacolod City Thursday.

Senior Police Officer 2 Sherwin Rojas, investigator of Police Station 1, identified the victim as Hernani Sales, 45, of Barangay Bata.

Tension arose when 47-year-old Roberto Olivas, a member of the City Legal Enforcement Office, confronted Sales after the former saw the latter with his estranged wife walking in the downtown area past 11 a.m. yesterday.

Olivas was worried that Sales might be armed with a firearm which prompted him to hit the latter with a steel knuckle.

Sales suffered injuries on his lower right eye. Olivas's estranged wife was unharmed.

Olivas and Sales were pacified by a police officer and a traffic enforcer assigned in the area. Police recovered the steel knuckle from Olivas.

Olivas, for his part, said he felt irritated when he saw them together which prompted him to hit him.

He said they've been separated for two years already and that was the first time he saw her with another man. He even alleged that Sales was threatening him.

Meanwhile, Sales claimed that he has no affair with Olivas' estranged wife, who refused to be interviewed.

Sales also said that he will not pursue charges against Olivas, who is placed under police custody for 12 hours due to serious physical injuries.