TWO Leyte policemen have been relieved from their posts after allegedly harassing a group of media men covering a case of land dispute last week.
Ordered sacked were Staff Sgt. Rhea May Baleos and her husband, Staff Sgt. Ver Baleos, who are assigned with the Sta. Fe and Pastrana municipal police stations in Leyte, respectively.
They were ordered relieved by Leyte provincial police officer-in-charge Lt. Col. Ricky Reli. They were reassigned to the provincial police headquarters in Tacloban City to face an investigation into the incident.
The Baleos couple turned over their service firearms pending the probe.
The incident occurred last Friday in Sitio Cancamartes, Barangay Jones in Pastrana town where a farmland is being disputed by Moises Empillo and Anecita Nogal with her husband Virgillo. The land had been mortgaged by Empillo to the Baleos in 2017.
During the incident, Baleos called the Pastrana police station for assistance. Baleos’ husband was among those who responded to the scene.
An “argument” later ensued between Baleos and Nogal “pertaining to the legality of possessing the said rice field,” the Leyte provincial police said.
The incident was covered by crew members of the local San Juanico TV, led by reporter Noel Tampi Sianosa Jr.
Police said Sianosa took a video of the argument between Baleos and Sianosa. This reportedly prompted Baleos “to call the attention of Mr. Sianosa, and the two had a commotion.”
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said Baleos reportedly grabbed the cellphone being used by Sianosa in taking a video and pushed the media man away.
The NUJP said the media men later heard gunshots allegedly coming from policemen. This was denied by Reli, with the firearm of Baleos’ husband to be subjected to gunpowder residue examination.
“We are still investigating the said incident and rest assured that we will not be biased with our investigation and if proven that our personnel have truly committed all the accusations, our office will not tolerate such misconduct,” said Reli.
