TWO cops in Leyte were relieved of their duties for allegedly harassing three local reporters last Friday.

Leyte Police Provincial Office Officer-in-Charge Lt. Col. Ricky Reli ordered the administrative relief of Police Staff Sgt. Rhea May Baleos of the Sta. Fe Municipal Police Station, and her husband, PSSgt. Ver Baleos of the Pastrana Municipal Police Station.

The cop couple are now undergoing investigation amid a complaint by three local mediamen that they were harassed and shots were fired as they were covering a land dispute in Pastrana municipality last Friday.

The alleged incident took place in Sitio Cancamartes, Bgy. Jones in Pastrana, the town next to Sta. Fe, and triggered a commotion between the policewoman and one local reporter said to be covering a land dispute.

Lt. Col. Reli said their initial investigation showed that the incident stemmed from a land dispute between Moises Empillo and Anecita Nogal and her husband Virgilio.

Empillo claimed to be the owner of the rice field located at the said place while the Nogal couple were also claiming their were the rightful owner of the property. However, in 2017, Empillo mortgaged the rice field to the policewoman.

During the dispute, the policewoman sought the assistance of the Pastrana MPS as she and Mrs. Nogal were arguing who is the legal owner of the farm.

However, the policewoman reportedly noticed that while she and Mrs. Nogal were locked up in a heated argument, one man later identified as reporter Noel Sianosa was taking video footage of their altercation.

She later also argued with Sianosa and his two colleagues on why they are taking her video without her permission. The local mediamen later claimed they heard gunshots and saw policemen in uniform.

Following the incident, the cop couple were relieved from their posts and reassigned to the Leyte police headquarters. They were also asked to turn over their issued firearms for a ballistics examination. The male Baleos was also ordered to undergo a paraffin test.

Reli said a Provincial Investigation Team led by Maj. Antonio Angcay is leading the inquiry into the case.

“We are still investigating the 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,” he said.

“While we highly recognize the role of the media in the delivery of impartial and factual information to the general public, we also do our best to protect their rights and safety. We likewise welcome those who have witnessed the said incident to give us more information, which will help beef-up our investigation, and for the immediate resolution of the case,” the official added.