Vendor, 2 siblings nabbed for murder

MANILA, Philippines — Police arrested yesterday the coconut vendor who was beaten up by enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) during a clearing operation in Pasay City last week.

Romnick Relos was apprehended along with his brothers Roy and Dondon after police discovered that they have pending warrants of arrest for murder.

Senior Police Officer 4 Demetrio Magpali Jr. of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said they received information about Relos’ criminal records after a video showing him being beaten by the MMDA personnel went viral on Facebook.

Magpali said the Relos siblings are in the custody of the CIDG at Camp Crame.

Police said the siblings were tagged in the killing of Junie Olete in Masbate on March 25, 2007.

Earlier, the MMDA suspended for 15 days the three enforcers who beat up Relos.

MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim said the 13 personnel involved in the clearing operations had tested negative for drugs.

COA employee in trouble

Meanwhile, an employee of the Commission on Audit (COA) found herself in trouble after she ran away from MMDA enforcers who issued her a traffic citation ticket for illegal parking and reckless driving along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City yesterday. 

Bong Nebrija, MMDA supervising officer for operations, said the woman presented her government ID instead of her driver’s license.

 “The traffic enforcers asked for her driver’s license, but she instead gave her COA ID,” Nebrija said. 

 He said the COA employee rolled up the window of her vehicle and sped away. – Emmanuel Tupas