(Eagle News) – Quezon City mayoralty candidate Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo cried foul over his and his son’s arrest Sunday night, saying that he was not even informed why he was being arrested.
He said he and his son, lawyer Edrix Crisologo, were arrested without any explanation, and disputed claims that they were involved in any votebuying.
He said that the policemen who entered their headquarters in Bgy. Bahay Toro in Quezon City arrested them, and more than 40 others, even if the police allegedly could not substantiate their claims of vote-buying.
“Inaresto ako, pinosasan ako (I was put in handcuffs),” he said recalling the incident in an interview with Eagle News Service’s Eden Santos at the Quezon City Police District headquarters Monday morning, May 13.
“Nung sinabi akong huwag, tinulak ako, nadapa ako (When I said no, they pushed me. I fell down),” he said.
“There was no vote-buying, wala naman silang nakuhang ebidensya (They did not get any evidence),” he said.
He said that the P800 that the policemen allegedly got could not be connected to any vote-buying incident.
His son, Atty. Edrix Crisologo, insisted that the police made an illegal arrest.
“Hindi kami inaresto. Pinosasan lang kami. (We were not arrested. We were just placed in handcuffs),” he said.
“We were never read our Miranda rights,” he added.
The elder Crisologo said that they were brought to the Quezon City Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Karingal at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and that until 6 a.m. at the time of the interview, Monday, they have not been charged.
The lawmaker said that he might not even be able to vote this morning because of the incident.
Crisologo said that there was a poll watchers’ training at their headquarters on Sunday night, and wondered why the policemen swooped on the camp without any proper explanation.
He and his son said they are ready to press charges against the policemen for their alleged “illegal” actions.