Bato orders QC cop who mauled motorist restricted to Camp Crame

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in a media interview at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday placed “under restrictive custody” in Camp Crame the police officer accused of illegally detaining and mauling a motorist in Quezon City after a traffic altercation.

Dela Rosa said he had also ordered Chief Insp. Melvin Madrona, the head of the Fairview police station drug enforcement team, relieved of his post to prevent him from interfering with the investigation of the complaint filed by the victim, a marine engineer.

He added that Madrona’s fellow policemen who just watched as the officer mauled the victim would also be investigated.

“He’s been charged and today, I have directed the director of the [Directorate for Personnel and Records Management to transfer him to the Headquarters Support Service] here in Camp Crame under restrictive custody so that he won’t be able to influence the ongoing investigation being conducted by the CITF (Counter-Intelligence Task Force),” Dela Rosa said.

“He might intimidate the victim into settling the case and say ‘If I’m not convicted, I’ll go after you.’ Erring policemen do that so we will make sure he won’t be able to do that,” he added.

Dela Rosa said that once the courts issue an arrest warrant against Madrona, he would then be transferred to a prison.

He added that the CITF and PNP Internal Affairs Service were also investigating Madrona’s colleagues who did nothing as the officer mauled the victim to determine their culpability. “We will include them in the charges,” Dela Rosa said.

According to the complainant who has asked not to be identified for his own safety, he was driving on Commonwealth Avenue on March 17 when he entered a U-turn slot.

However, the car in front of him started backing up and hit his vehicle. The victim said that when he stepped out to take photos of the damage, the other car’s driver, Madrona, who was in civilian clothes, became angry.

A heated exchange ensued and the victim went to the Fairview police station to ask for help without knowing that Madrona was assigned there.

The CCTV footage at the police station showed the victim running toward the entrance, followed seconds later by Madrona who hit him as other policemen only looked on until the victim was placed behind bars. – Philip C. Tubeza