Cop probed for assault on journalist

By Ding Cervantes

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – A police officer is facing investigation for allegedly beating up an editor of a Tarlac newspaper.

Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Rudy Lacadin has ordered a probe of the incident involving Nelson Bolos, editor of Tarlac News Center and Police Officer 1 Rogelio Almazan of Gerona town.

In his complaint, Bolos said the lawman punched him in the abdomen several times while hurling invectives at him.

Bolos said his feud with Almazan started a few years ago when he tried to help a businessman take back two licensed pistols that the police officer allegedly confiscated.

He said Almazan had apparently sold one of the pistols.

Lacadin assured Bolos that he would have the incident investigated and push for the filing of administrative charges against Almazan.

Bolos said he filed a criminal case against Almazan before the Tarlac prosecutor’s office.

Media groups in Central Luzon had decried the alleged assault on Bolos by Almazan who reportedly was a police officer with a shady record and called on the director of the Police Regional Office 3 to initiate both administrative and criminal investigations.

Bolos, who also writes for the Northern Philippine Times had filed a complaint against Almazan, assigned to the Gerona Municipal Police Station, before the PRO3 Director’s Office for allegedly punching him in the abdomen with a clenched right index finger.

In his complaint to Chief Supt. Rudy Lacadin, Bolos said: “Almazan is an abusive and arrogant policeman. He badmouthed me and hit my abdomen several times with his clenched right index finger.”

Bolos said he drew the ire of Almazan for assisting a local businessman in demanding the return of two .45 caliber pistols which he had entrusted to the policeman in 2009.

He said that the businessman has a license of ownership for one of the guns, while the other was supposed to be applied for a license by PO1 Almazan.

As this developed, George Hubierna of People’s Journal and past president of the Camp Olivas Press Club, said: “Such  kind of abusive policemen have no room in a democratic country like ours since he is a threat to legitimate newsmen.”

Bolos said there is a reason why Almazan has not been promoted since joining the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2005 and that is allegedly because of the lawman’s involvement in various administrative cases and extortion.

“During the time of (Superintendent) Zafra as police chief of Gerona in 2013, I personally witnessed his mulcting of some truck drivers at the police checkpoint along the Mac Arthur Highway. He was strongly reprimanded then by Zafra when a number of local truck owners complained to him of Almazan’s demand for P5,000 for every truck of palay passing their checkpoint,” Bolos said.