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A Dipolog City-based commentator was arrested inside his announcer’s booth in the middle of a broadcast late last week. |
Dipolog City Police Director Supt. Reynaldo Maclang arrested Rodolfo Tanquis, a 50-year-old block-time commentator of DxFL FM 88.9, in Dipolog City on Friday morning.
Mitchel Bala, a colleague of Tanquis at the radio station, said, “Tanquis was on board at that time when he was forced by two of Maclang’s men to proceed to the police station because they were filing a libel case against our colleague.”
Tanquis hosts a daily radio programme, Isyu Karon (Current Issues), from 6 am to 7 am. Tanquis’ listeners were left with nothing when Tanquis was arrested at about 6.30am.
“We didn’t know what to do. Maclang and his men trooped to the station and locked the booth,” Bala said.
“(Maclang’s) men barred the technician from entering the booth,” he added.
Maclang allegedly got angry when Tanquis blamed Maclang for the number of unresolved killings in Dipolog City.
“We are scared because he arrested our colleague even when he has yet to file a libel case,” Bala said.
Chief Supt. Juanito Vano Jr, Western Mindanao police director, said Maclang did not arrest Tanquis.
“Maclang went to the (radio) station to explain his side over accusations that he is behind the 19 killings in Dipolog. There was some kind of question and answer session and after the radio programme, Maclang invited Tanquis to the police station in Dipolog City to file charges against Tanquis regarding his accusations,” Vano said.
Vano said Maclang “would just like to clear his name.”