Police official who grabbed GMA reporter’s phone promoted a second time

The police official who snatched a journalist's phone out of his hands during the Feast of the Black Nazarene in January has been promoted once again by the Philippine National Police. 

Police Brigadier General Nolasco Bathan has been named deputy regional director for administration of the National Capital Region Police Office, the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed on Thursday night.

According to PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, Bathan was promoted due to a vacancy in the position, adding that due to seniority, he was next in line in the NCRPO Command Group.

Bathan’s promotion will be effective on Friday, February 14.

The former Southern Police District chief’s latest promotion came barely a week after he was designated the NCRPO’s deputy regional director for operations.

On January 9, Veneracion was recording a police officer seizing an attendee during the Traslacion activities in Manila when Bathan snatched the phone out of his hands. 

Bathan later claimed that he did now know who Veneracion was and that he was concerned that he "posed a threat" to the event.

Veneracion was able to get his phone back, but the video he had been taking had been deleted.

He was later able to retrieve the video, in which a voice could be hear saying, "Burahin mo, burahin mo kuha ni Jun Veneracion. P— i— nagku-kwan eh."

Bathan denied that he was the one who deleted the video. He later apologized to Veneracion.

Attendees had complained of harsh measures taken by the police during the Traslacion.

NCRPO chief Police Major General Debold Sinas earlier said the probe into the incident between Bathan and Veneracion was already finished and that the case has been closed.

Meanwhile, other new assignments within the police organization are the following:

• Police Brigadier General Florendo Campo Quibuyen - NCRPO Deputy Regional Director for Operation
• Police Brigadier General Herminio Suarez Tadeo Jr. - PNP Health Service Director
• Police Colonel Steve Bentican Ludan - PNP Ditectorate for Research and Development Acting Executive Officer

— BM, GMA News