GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Police arrested on Friday a manager of a radio station here for failing to attend a scheduled court hearing over the robbery with intimidation charges filed against him by a businessman last year.
Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, city police director, said Saturday DXES Bombo Radyo General Santos station manager Jonathan "Jan-jan" Macailing was nabbed by operatives at around 3:40 p.m. inside the city hall here.
He said Macailing's arrest was based on a warrant issued by Executive Judge Oscar Noel of the Regional Trial Court Branch 35 following a hearing on Thursday.
"It was in relation to his failure to appear to a scheduled court hearing. There was a subpoena for him but he did not attend, so the court issued a warrant of arrest, " Supiter said in a radio interview.
Supiter said a "commotion" ensued during Macailing's arrest after his four civilian escorts supposedly resisted.
He said the two arresting police intelligence operatives, whose names were withheld, were allegedly mauled by the suspects during the altercation.
The arresting officers were assigned under the city police's mobile force company.
Supiter said two of Macailing's escorts were eventually arrested while the two others managed to escape, he said.
They were identified as Bienvenido Penafiel, 45, and Jomar Oliverio, 42, who were initially reported to be members of the city government's Civil Security Unit (CSU).
"That's the information we received. We're currently investigating why they were escorting a private person despite being employed with the CSU," he said.
Supiter said Macailing is currently being held for "safekeeping" at the city police station number 06 while his two escorts were detained at the City Police Station 1
He said the two will be charged on Monday with "direct assault to person in authority, obstruction of justice and physical injuries."
The police official said they are also determining the identities of Macailing's two other escorts, who figured in the mauling of the two arresting officers, for the filing of appropriate charges.
Macailing and the station's news director Salvador "Boy" Galano were arrested in September last year by joint police personnel and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly trying to extort PHP5 million from businessman Joel Apolinario.
Apolinario is the founder of the Kapa Community Ministry International Inc., a religious group that offers an investment scheme prohibited by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In an interview with reporters following his arrest on Friday, Macailing claimed that he just came from the court and filed a motion for the postponement of the hearing.
He and his civilian escorts, who were aboard a Toyota Fortuner sports utility vehicle, reportedly noticed two motorcycle-riding men in civilian clothes tailing them.
Upon reaching the corner of Zapote and Siniguelas streets in Barangay Dadiangas East, his escorts jumped on the two men, suspecting that they were hired killers.
Macailing, who had reported to have received death threats, said they then brought the two to the office of City Mayor Ronnel Rivera at the city hall.
He said the two men later declared that they were police officers and served the arrest warrant. (PNA)
