THE case of two policemen in Leyte who were relieved and are now facing criminal and administrative charges following a complaint from three journalists is another ‘eye-opener’ when it comes to observing the rights of an individual, whether he is a policeman, a member of the press or an ordinary civilian, officials said yesterday.

The two cops, Police Staff Sergeant Rhea May Baleos of the Sta. Fe Municipal Police Station and her husband, PSSgt. Ver Baleos of the Pastrana MPS, reportedly resented the actuation of one of the three complainants who, reportedly without the permission of the former, took a video of her while in a verbal tussle with a person claiming to be the rightful owner of the lot that is under contest.

The local mediamen claimed they were merely doing their job when they went to Sitio Cancamartes in Barangay Jones in Pastrana, the town next to Sta. Fe to cover developments on a land dispute involving the policewoman and another person whom they accompanied.

Philippine National Police spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said that the Baleos couple have been relieved from their posts and made to answer the criminal and administrative charges expected to be filed against them.

She said that in the Pastrana incident, the policemen involved should have considered they are public figures who should be treating members of the press as their partners, not enemies.

The PNP spokesperson said that in the interest of transparency, police must be always circumspect in their actions especially when they are dealing with civilians.

She cited the transparency program of the police force whose members remain cops even though they are not in uniform 24-hours a day, and thus have to respond to any call for help from the public.

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Alfred P. Dalizon