Police official criticized for grabbing reporter’s phone promoted to NCRPO’s 2nd highest position

FILE: SORRY. Southern Police District (SPD) Director, Brig. Gen. Nolasco Bathan, appeals to the media not to sensationalize the incident between him and GMA-7 news reporter Jun Veneracion as he already made a public apology for snatching the latter’s phone during the Traslacion on Thursday. In a press briefing held at Police Station 10 in Kamuning, Quezon City on Friday (Jan. 10, 2020), Bathan said he thought Veneracion was someone who posed a threat during the procession of the Black Nazarene. (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez)

It was only a week after he was promoted but Police Brigadier General Nolasco Bathan, the cop who drew criticisms for “snatching” a television reporter’s phone during the coverage of Traslacion 2020, ascended again to another position — the second-highest in the Metro Manila police.

This, after an order dated February 12 named Bathan as deputy regional director for administration of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), a promotion effective on February 14.

Bathan will be replacing Brigadier General Herminio Tadeo, Jr., who was promoted as the director of the  Philippine National Police’s (PNP’s) Health Service.

According to a GMA report, PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernad Banac said Bathan got the position because he was next in line in seniority in the NCRPO Command Group.

Bathan’s promotion came after he was designated as the NCRPO’s deputy regional director for operations last week.

[READ: Controversial cop who confiscated journalist’s phone in Traslacion gets promoted]

The cop earlier drew the ire of some netizens after GMA reporter Jun Veneracion shared his encounter with the officer on his Facebook account where he narrated that Bathan “snatched” his phone while he was taking a video of a Black Nazarene devotee being surrounded by cops during the Traslacion last month.

The journalist claimed that the video was deleted after finding it on the “recently deleted photo album” feature of his phone.

Bathan then apologized to Veneracion, explaining that he did not recognize the reporter.

In a Facebook post on February 10, Veneracion clarified that he has not yet submitted any affidavit against Bathan, but the NCRPO’s Regional Internal Affairs Service “unexpectedly decided to ‘resolve its investigation,’ as announced by the chief of the NCRPO.”

“Closing the probe without considering the incontrovertible facts is a classic example of turning a blind eye. The infractions made on the 9th of January were as clear as day,” the journalist said.

“Deep down, to be very blunt about it, I really didn’t expect much from a flawed system. But to hand down a mere slap on the wrist is tantamount to a slap in the face for the aggrieved,” he added.