Sun.Star: Fotog mauled inside Bogo City Hall

The counting of votes may be miles away, but political tension continued to rule in Bogo City in Cebu as a news photographer was mauled while taking photo of policemen trying to “retrieve" ballot boxes to be canvassed in Manila. Sun Star Cebu reported Monday night that its photographer Alex Badayos was mauled when men guarding the city hall’s staircase saw him taking the photos. “Badayos was kicked and punched several times by men guarding the staircase of the Bogo City Hall. Badayos wanted to go up and see what was happening upstairs and identified himself as ‘Media, Sun.Star.’ A doctor’s examination will show later the extent of his physical injuries," Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief Pacheco Seares said in a statement. He added Badayos can identify his attackers from the photos he took. He said Sun.Star management will support him in filing a complaint against those responsible for the attack. Police and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Central Visayas had orders from the special board of canvassers headed by lawyer Eddie Aba to retrieve the four ballot boxes. But they failed to retrieve the four ballot boxes after Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie" Martinez Jr. refused to turn over the ballot boxes. About 300 residents then trooped the City Hall to support Mayor Martinez and overwhelmed the available police force there. Seares said Badayos’s camera and his bag, which contained a laptop, were confiscated. “Purposely, he did not wear his press card as he knew, based on his experience during the last election campaign, the sentiment of Mayor Martinez’s people against Sun.Star," Seares said. He added that Badayos’ equipment, plus the fact that he identified himself as a journalist, should have served enough notice of the purpose of his presence at the Bogo City Hall. “Besides, no person, journalist or not, can be justifiably mauled for being in a public building," the statement further said. Seares also pointed out that Badayos did not touch any of the ballot boxes, as claimed by Mayor Martinez. He was far from the ballot boxes. He said that while the mayor said he is sorry about the incident, he can do more by helping identify the culprits. “We are aware of the risks of a photojournalist of reporter at a scene of conflict. We just hope the incident will deter, instead of encourage, attacks on members of media while doing their job," the statement said. - GMANews.TV