Criminal charges will be filed against Honeylet Avanceña for allegedly hitting a female member of the police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) during a commotion when her partner, former president Rodrigo Duterte, was being transferred to a chartered plane bound for the Netherlands on Tuesday, March 11.

Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the female police officer was taken to a medical facility after she suffered injuries on the head.

“The police officer suffered a head injury and will be filing cases. We have a video that proves that Ms Honeylet indeed hit the policewoman using her cellphone,” said Fajardo.

One of the cases that would be filed is direct assault.

The injured policewomen were among a team of female police officers who were securing Avanceña and her daughter Kitty at the Villamor Airbase amid the commotions as the Duterte camp was allegedly barring authorities from being transferred to a chartered plane.

Fajardo was with Police Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) during the serving of the arrest warrant from the ICC after the arrival of Duterte at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

She confirmed the verbal abuses that Torre and some police officers suffered from the camp of Duterte.

“We received all the cursing, all the insults but the police exercised maximum tolerance,” said Fajardo.

“And for the record, nobody was hurt on their side,” she added.

Medialdea too

Since the start of the serving of the ICC warrant, former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea was with Duterte and in some of the videos that went viral on social media, the latter was seen arguing with Torre.

Fajardo confirmed that Medialdea was handcuffed on the order of Torre after he allegedly tried to block the process of transferring the former president to the airplane.

Torre earlier confirmed several tactics employed to delay the transfer of Duterte to the chartered plane that later transported him to the Netherlands.

“They insisted on not allowing the police to get near the former president. He (Medialdea) refused to accede to the request that the former president be transferred to the plane that is why no less than General Torre held him (Medialdea) and read him his right to remain silent and that he is being charged for obstruction of justice,” said Fajardo.

She, however, said the handcuffed was removed as soon as Medialdea joined the former president inside the bus that was headed to the chartered flight for humanitarian consideration.

Setting the record straight

In one of the videos circulating online, Torre was heard shouting making threats that he would pull out someone.

Fajardo clarified that Torre was not referring to Duterte.

She said Torre was referring to the people blocking the policemen from escorting Duterte to the bus.

On the other hand, Fajardo also denied that some policewomen deployed at the Villamor Airbase were crying during the incident.

“You can believe whatever you want to believe. We were there. The tension was high and it was hot there. Our personnel were sweating. We don’t want to discredit the one that posted the video but they made it appear that the policewoman wiping out the sweat was crying,” said Fajardo.

Focus on your job

Amid social media posts of policemen threatening to resign and criticizing the arrest of Duterte, Fajardo reminded all policemen to remain apolitical.

“There are certain ethical standards and norms within the PNP in expressing your views especially that we all know that the PNP is an apolitical and non-partisan organization,” said Fajardo.

“Again, we respect their views but in airing these views, there are certain limits if they are still part of the PNP. It is their right to express their views but as long as they are members of the PNP they should observe some policy airing their sentiments in social media,” said Fajardo.