Police official who confiscated GMA Reporter's phone says he was just following orders

WATCH: Pahayag ni SPD Director PBGen Nolasco Bathan kasunod ng pag-agaw nya sa cellphone ng GMA News Reporter na si Jun Veneracion sa kasagsagan ng Traslasyon 2020 @dzbb pic.twitter.com/e9Hm4ttYsa

— Luisito Santos (@luisitosantos03) January 9, 2020

The police officer who took the cellphone of GMA News Reporter Jun Veneracion was just following orders to maintain peace and order during the Traslacion, Luisito Santos reported for Super Radyi's DZBB.

Police Brigadier General Nolasco Bathan also said he did not know that Veneracion is a journalist.

"Ang reaksyon ko unang-una, hindi ko alam na media siya. At ang instruction sa amin, bawal sa daan. Para makadaan ng maayos yung ating Andas. Yun lang," Bathan said.

"Nagkataon nakita ko merong kinuha na magulo na deboto. Here comes another guy, nagpi picture, akala ko nire-rescue niya yung deboto na magulo. Kinuha (ko) ang cellphone niya," he added.

Veneracion captured on video a policeman seizing a Black Nazarene devotee along Ayala Bridge on Thursday morning.

In the video, which was aired on 24 Oras, the police rounded up and pushed the devotee to the ground.

Bathan then approached Veneracion and snatched his cellphone then immediately fled, not knowing the video was still on.

At the latter part of the video, a unidentified man said "Burahin mo, burahin mo kuha ni Jun Veneracion. P***** i** nagku-kwan eh."

Veneracion's phone, however, was returned to him after 20 minutes, but the video was already in the "Recently Deleted" album.

Bathan was asked whether Veneracion introduced himself as a media worker.

His answer, however, was unclear.

"Hindi ko na kuwan. It's very kuwan. That's very ... napakaraming tao kanina. Hindi na kuwan, sobrang dami ng tao. Alam niya yun," he said.

The police officer underscored that they had to deal with a big crowd and chaotic.

"Halos dun yun, yung gusto nang agawin sa amin yung Andas, ay yung kuwan kanina," said Bathan. — BAP, GMA News