Binay urges Cayetano to surrender POSO staff in mauling incident

MANILA, Philippines - The turf war over the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) between Makati and Taguig turns ugly after Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay on Thursday demanded that Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano surrender to the Makati Police at least 50 members of Taguig's Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) who attacked Makati personnel who were installing "Welcome to BGC Makati" tarpaulins along McKinley Road in Barangay Forbes Park on Wednesday morning.

Ryan Guray, 28, a staff member of Makati's Barangay Southside, who was just passing by along Mackinley Road was hurt in the incident after a member of the POSO grabbed his mobile phone as he tried to video record the members of the POSO taking down the tarpaulins being installed by workers of an advertising firm and escorted by members of the Makati Anti-Drug Council at around 9 a.m.

Guray said that with the assistance of the Makati Police, his mobile phone was later returned but with its stored photos and videos already deleted. He told reporters that he will be filing charges against the still unidentified POSO personnel who allegedly tried to maul him inside his car when he refused to hand over his phone.

Binay said, the members of the POSO loaded the pro-Makati posters into a marked Taguig government pick-up truck and scampered towards the nearby BGC area when Makati Police and members of the Barangay Forbes security arrived at the scene.

Binay said, Makati Police then chased the group of about 50 POSO personnel inside the BGC and arrested POSO member Roger Orbillo for possession of an unlicensed Falcon .45 caliber pistol. Binay said the gun's license has already expired and no permit to carry was shown to the Makati policemen who made the arrest.

Binay told reporters that Orbillo was transferred to the custody of the Taguig Police. However, Binay said he had recieved information that Orbillo is no longer under the Taguig Police custody.

"Lumalabas na pinakawalan na ang lalaking may baril. Under whose authority na pakawalan siya? We will file obstruction of justice against the Taguig PNP (police)," said Binay.

Binay on Thursday presented to reporters the incident as captured by a closed circuit televison camera installed at Barangay Forbes Park along Mckinley Road. The footage showed how the POSO members, many of them wearing white T-shirts printed with "I Love Taguig" suddenly swarmed on the men installing the "Welcome to BGC Makati" tarpaulins. The POSO men the took down the tarpaulins and loaded them into a Taguig-marked pick-up truck.

A brief quarrel followed after the POSO men allegedly showed and pushed members of the Makati Anti-Drug Abuse Councilwho were trying to shield the workers installing the tarpaulins. It was during the shoving that Guray caught the attention of the POSO men. The footage later showed Guray being followed by the POSO men to his Toyota Revo van where he was allegedy mauled into surrendering his mobile phone.

"Nalulungkot kami sa pangyayayring ito. At para amin, sobra na ito," said Binay.

"Ang McKinley Road sa Forbes Park ay bahagi ng Makati. Siguro naman ay hindi inaangkin o balak angkinin ito ng Taguig," said Binay.

Binay called on Taguig Mayor Cayetano to surrender to the Makati Police the POSO men involved in the incident.

"Malinaw na hindi lang nanggulo ang mga tauhan ng Taguig sa Makati. Lumabag din sila sa batas. Dapat silang managot batas," Binay said.

Binay said Makati was not trying to insitigate any incident by installing the "Welcome to BGC Makati" tarpaulins along McKinley Road.

"Naglalagay kami ng mga tarpaulin na nagpapakita na after ng pag lift ng injunction, ang jurisdiction sa BGC ay bumalik sa Makati. Ano ang masama sa paglalagay ng tarpaulin? We want to tell the public that BGC is part of Makati," he said.

"There was no instigation on our part. We are relying on the cooperation of Taguig to give us the names (of the POSO men)," added Binay.

Binay said Taguig will find it hard to argue that the action of the POSO men along McKinley Road was not sanctioned.

"Kung isa o dalawa ang sangkot, pwedeng idahilan na hindi awtorisado ang ginagawa. Pero kung grupo ng sampu o dalawampu ang sangkot, na nakasuot ng tshirt na I love Taguig ang karamihan, parang mahirap paniwalaan na sariling desisyon nila ang manggulo sa Makati," he said.

Kim Pautin, Taguig POSO officer-in-charge had earlier assured the Makati Police that the incident will be dealt with properly.

"In Taguig, acts of impropriety and misconduct are not tolerated. If our personnel are guilty of such, then let the ax fall where it must. They should be dealt with in pursuance to the law," said Pautin.