NPC to file raps vs QC cops over attack on news team

MANILA, Philippines - The National Press Club (NPC) is set to file charges against several Quezon City policemen in connection with Sunday's mauling of an ABS-CBN news crew inside the Batasan police station. To be named respondents in the complaint are several police officials from the Quezon City Police District Station 6, including station commander Superintendent Antonio Yarra and Chief Inspector Alex Alberto, the officer on duty when the mauling incident happened. NPC President Benny Antiporda said they would file the complaint before the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service. The brawl started when complainants Jackylyn Maulion, Luchie Maulion, and Eddie Masurong attacked Dexter Ganibe of ABS-CBN’s radio station dzMM and ABS-CBN cameraman Benedicto Ganelo for allegedly violating their rights to privacy. Ganibe said the complainants hit and kicked them and even tried to stab them with a ball pen. While confronting the news team, Luchie allegedly bragged that she works for a lawmaker, who later turned out to be Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar. Antiporda said they would lodge the charges against the police officers for sending Ganibe and cameraman Benedicto Ganelo behind bars. The NPC also slammed the Quezon City policemen for failing to break the fight that happened around 1 a.m. of Sunday. GMANews.TV tried reaching Yarra and Alberto by phone but the police officers were not immediately available for comment. Aside from the NPC, other media groups like the National Union of Journalists and the Metro Manila Radio Reporters Organization have likewise denounced the attack on the ABS-CBN news team. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV