Orosco orders police probe on mauling of GMA-Iloilo crew
ROXAS CTIY – Sapian Mayor Arturo Orosco Sr. has ordered the police to dig deeper into the harassment of GMA-Iloilo reporter Jocel Huesca and camera man Felix John Torino while they were covering the barangay and Sangguning Kabataan elections in Sapian town proper Wednesdy morning.
“Media should be allowed to cover and monitor to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections,” Orosco said.
The purpose of the media people was not to interrupt as they are non-partisan, he added.
Orosco said he himself is “hands-offs” the special elections in the Poblacion as the four candidates running for barangay captain are his supporters.
He said he ordered Insp. Ruel Bucat, Sapian police chief, to investigate the incident thoroughly and make sure there is no whitewash.
On Wednesday, Huesca said they were inside the school in the poblacion when a man punched his camera man and took his camera.
He added that a candidate’s supporter also attacked him and shouted, “Who paid you to take a footage of the election?”
Later, several witnesses claimed that the persons who harassed Huesca and Torino were the body guards of Sapian Vice Mayor Ralph Odrunia.
The News Today repeatedly tried to contact Odrunia for comment through his mobile phone but he could not be reached until press time yesterday.
In the police blotter report, Torino said he was stopped and punched on the head by two persons identified as Reynaldo Villanueva and Elsur Jose.
He added that Villanueva forcibly took his camera and he later recovered the equipment from the nearby covered gym.
Odrunia is the older brother of Lyndon Odrunia, who ran for barangay captain of Poblacion.
However, Lyndo, who garnered 894 votes, lost to Borogoy Jamero who got 1,016 votes.
Meanwhile, Lara Mae Obuyes Caberte won as SK chairman of the same village, with 100 votes, defeating Ginin Anne Gallardo, who garnered 93 votes.
Caberte is the daughter of Arnz Caberte, an executive assistant of Mayor Arturo Orosco Sr.*
