PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, December 26, directed Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to file appropriate charges against an Iloilo town mayor and his son, a lawmaker, for mauling a police officer.
After visiting the wake of slain Ako Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe, Duterte told reporters in Daraga, Albay that Guimbal, Iloilo Mayor Oscar Garin and his son, Iloilo First District Representative Richard Garin, should face charges over the incident.
"Well, kung may kasalanan man ang pulis, it’s not a reason, especially a police officer na bugbugin mo (If the policeman did something wrong, it's not a reason to maul a police officer)," Duterte said in an interview.
"So they will have to file the case. Direct assault. So again, you could file charges. I will ask General Año to take a look bakit nagkaganun (why it happened). Investigate. But I I’m not urging him. I’m ordering him to file a case against the two, 'yung mag-ama (the father and his son)," he added.
The Garins reportedly summoned Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya, who is assigned at the Guimbal Municipal Police Station, early Wednesday morning and beat the police officer up for undisclosed reason.
Macaya was allegedly struck in different parts of his body, "disarmed, body-searched, and handcuffed at gunpoint."
In a statement, Western Visayas Police director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said Garin and his son would face charges of physical injuries, alarm and scandal, direct assault against an agent of person in authority, and grave coercion.
The younger Garin, husband of former Health secretary Janette Garin, already issued an apology and assumed full responsibility for his actions.
"I sincerely ask for your forgiveness of what I did. I reiterate my apologies for my actions, which I take full responsibility. However, I just would like to clarify that my actions are not directed to the PNP (Philippine National Police) as an institution, or against its officers and personnel," he said in a statement.
"My actions were merely display of extreme frustration towards one, single PNP personnel, which to my judgment committed a great disservice to the people of Guimbal," he added. (SunStar Philippines)