'Naaayon lang': Cop defends action against verbally abusive foreigner

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MANILA - A policeman who tried to take down and arrest a foreigner who yelled and cursed at him for enforcing the enhanced community quarantine rule in an exclusive village in Makati said he only acted accordingly.

"Verbal assault upon a person in authority, 'yun po ang nag-trigger sa akin despite na bina-violate na niya yung 'di pagsuot ng face mask sa labas ng bahay nila," police officer Roland Madrona said.

On ANC's Headstart, Madrona said the foreigner, Javier Salvador Parra, is not excused from the law.

"Inaalam po niya dapat ang batas dito sa Pilipinas kasi ganun din naman po tayo pag nasa ibang bansa, masunurin tayo sa kung anumang batas ang umiiral sa kanila," he said.

Madrona said he tried to maintain his cool despite Parra's irrational and unreasonable behavior towards him and a fellow police officer.

• Makati police to sue foreign resident who defied quarantine in exclusive subdivision

"Sa akin, naayon lang 'yun kasi sa mga ganung klaseng tao nandito ngayon sa atin dapat talaga mayroong kalalagyan sa kanila, hindi po sila kanais-nais dito," said Madrona said in an interview on Tuesday.

Madrona said they were patrolling the village together with some members of the Bantay Bayan when they accosted the foreigner's maid for not wearing a face mask while tending to the garden outside.

"Sinabihan lang po namin siya na magsuot siya ng face mask especially pag nasa labas ng bahay kasi para po sa kaniyang proteksiyon at para paalalahanan din siya na may umiiral na ordinansa," he said.

Makati's City Ordinance No. 2020-089 requires residents, workers and all other persons in the city to wear face masks and other protective equipment while outdoors or in public places.
The maid went back inside the house allegedly to get her face mask and identification card, which she needed to show authorities.

"Nung bumalik ng bahay, ang bumungad sa amin isang lalaki na nakahubad, na wala rin pong face mask. Yung bumungad sa amin napaka aggressive. Noong time na 'yun mahinahon ko siyang pinaliwanagan ng aming presence doon at ang aming purpose. Imbes na makinig siya, nagbunganga na siya sa amin," he said.

The foreigner had a drink inside his home so Madrona said it would be better to just talk to his wife instead.

"Ang sabi ko sa kaniya hindi na ako magpupumilit na makipag-usap sa inyo. Unang-una nakainom kayo. 'Yung asawa sana niya ang kakausapin ko pero hinahawi na niya para lang mapaliwanagan kung bakit kami nandoon sa harap ng bahay nila," he said.

Madrona said what forced him to try and arrest Parra was when the foreigner cursed at him and even gave him the finger despite several attempts to calmly make him understand why they were there.

"Sa puntong nagmumura na siya, tino-tolerate ko pa naman kasi mahaba naman tolerance ko sa mga ganun. Kaso 'yung ipagtulukan kami despite naka-uniporme ako at may mobile na nasa harap niya at 'di niya maintindan 'yung presensiya namin, at saka 'yung nag-trigger po sa amin yung sinabihan niya ako ng salitang “F*ck You” tapos with dirty finger doon na ako nag react sa kanya. Sinabi ko sa I am arresting you, hindi ko nga lang siya ma-restrain, nagre-resist po siya," he said.

The police officer said he let go of the foreigner after he heard his wife say that he has an injury.

"Kaya nirelax ko dahil sinabi ng asawa na may injury siya. At the same time nakiusap sa akin na sasama siya ng maayos. Hinayaan ko siya pero pumasok siya sa bahay nila sa loob," he said.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay already asked police to file appropriate charges against those concerned after a full investigation.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday called on the Bureau of Immigration to look into the case and to swiftly act if a deportation proceeding is in order, he said.

"Nagpapasalamat po ako sa kanilang suporta. Ayaw ko na po sanang umabot sa ganitong punto at sitwasyon na nada-drag pangalan ko at pagkatao ko at lalong-lalo na doon sa pamilya dahil may mga anak din 'yun pero wala po akong magawa kung 'di para mabigyang-linaw doon sa malisyosang alegasyon sa akin despite na nagtatrabaho lang po ako, kasama 'yung Bantay Bayan ng barangay ganun po ang naging outcome," he said.

He appealed to foreigners in the country to cooperate and abide by laws set by the government especially in this time of public health emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Foreigners not exempt in following quarantine measures: IBP

"Kailangan natin iyun lalo na sa panahon ngayon, napakaseryoso po. Sana maintindihan tayo doon sa bawat gawain natin, samahan natin ng dasal. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Alam natin, lahat nagsasakripisyo na. Ang iba d'yan siguro mas worse pa sa sakripisyong ginagawa natin at hindi po namin alam until when we can hold the line," he said.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, as well as select parts in the Visayas and Mindanao, are imposing strict quarantine measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, which, as of Monday infected 7,777 in the country. Of the number, 511 have died.