The secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Negros was arrested for maltreatment charges a few minutes after leaving the courtroom of Branch 48 at the Hall of Justice in Brgy. 9, Bacolod City, yesterday

Christian Tuayon, 27, of Brgy. Purisima in Manapla town, Negros Occidental, was nabbed on the strength of a bench warrant issued by Branch 1 presiding judge Jose Paolo Ariola of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, on Jan. 29, 2014, records show.

Operatives of the Police Station 2 and the Bacolod Public Safety Company, checked the warrant at the MTCC Branch 1, and after verifying that it was still serviceable, served it to Tuayon, at about 8:30 a.m. yesterday, Senior Insp. Jovil Sedel, Station 2 chief said.

Tuayon did not resist the arresting officers, who identified themselves as policemen, Sedel said.

The bench warrant is for the failure of Tuayon to attend a hearing on the maltreatment charges filed against him by Police Officer 1 Albert Villahermoso, a member of the Regional Public Safety Battalion on Feb. 28, 2013, sources said.

Villahermoso claimed that Tuayon tapped his hat, hitting his nose on May 5, 2012 while he and other policemen were dispersing them for holding a rally without a permit at the main gate of the Nature’s Village Resort, where President Benigno Aquino had administered the oath to the new members of Liberal Party.

Tuayon, however, said no maltreatment happened during the rally two years ago.

The subpoena to appear in court was sent to Tuayon on November 2013, but he claimed yesterday that he and his lawyer have not received any documents.

Tuayon said he was shocked when the bench warrant was served to him since he had been attending several hearings on the case.

He said the recent arrests of his comrades and his own are part of the clearing operation of the government to neutralize militant organizations, so they will not be embarrassed during the visit of United States President Barack Obama.

Tuayon called the arrest “purely harassment” as the policemen knew that the activists will hold widespread protests on the arrival of Obama next month. He added he had attended the hearing of Sarah Alvarez when the police arrested him.

Sedel, meanwhile, said the lawyer of Tuayon had filed a motion for reconsideration, but the police will wait for an order from the court for them to release Tuayon.

Tuayon, meanwhile, is temporarily detained at the lock-up cell of Station 2 and the police are on alert status for his security, Sedel added.*SGG

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