Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Francis Tolentino stood by his man, Jorbe Adriatico, a day after the Maserati-driving businessman accused of mauling the traffic constable went on national television to defend himself and insist that he was the aggrieved party in their road encounter on Thursday.
In a radio interview on Saturday, Tolentino challenged Joseph Russel Ingco to undergo a lie detector test, saying that unlike Adriatico鈥檚 statements which were 鈥渟pontaneous鈥� and issued immediately after the mauling incident, Ingco鈥檚 claims came much later after the Quezon Avenue incident and were apparently rehearsed.
MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino. FILE PHOTO
鈥淸Ingco] was gone for more than a day and he has the resources to rehearse and contact the people he needed to talk to, apart from his lawyer. That鈥檚 why it took him long to surface; he prepared what he was going to say,鈥� Tolentino said, referring to the businessman鈥檚 media interviews Friday night.
Tolentino said he wouldn鈥檛 buy Ingco鈥檚 claims that he was the one who got hurt by Adriatico, since it was the MMDA aide who suffered a broken nose.
He also vouched for Adriatico鈥檚 credibility, saying he had maintained a clean record since he started working in the MMDA six years ago and was even cited by the police for helping arrest street criminals. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 telling the truth. He鈥檚 a credible guy and we stand by him.鈥�
鈥淚n the case of Mr. Ingco, with all due respect, he admitted that he punched [Adriatico]鈥� so that鈥檚 already an admission,鈥� the official said.
Ingco told evening newscasts on Friday that he felt forced to explain his side of the incident out of safety fears.
The 39-year-old businessman was caught on video holding Adriatico by his shirt and dragging him along the road out of the window of his blue Maserati Ghibli on the morning of Nov. 13.
The video, shot by a fellow traffic officer, went viral, drawing the ire of the country鈥檚 vocal Facebook and Twitter mobs, and prompting Tolentino to put up a P100,000 reward for information on the businessman鈥檚 whereabouts.
Social media users vilified Ingco, calling him a 鈥渞oad bully,鈥� 鈥渓iar鈥� and 鈥渕auler.鈥� 鈥淭his shows that social media can be a tool for justice,鈥� Tolentino told Agence France-Press on Saturday.
鈥淚 am afraid for my safety. I am willing to face the consequences,鈥� Ingco told GMA Network, stuttering at some points during the interview.
Ingco admitted punching the traffic aide, but said it was only to loosen the officer鈥檚 grip on his shirt collar. He claimed the aide punched him too, though he had no visible bruises on his face.
Adriatico was set to undergo surgery on Saturday to repair his broken nose.
鈥淚 still couldn鈥檛 sleep. The incident keeps playing in my head,鈥� Adriatico, with a bandaged nose, told ABS-CBN of his Thursday morning run-in with Ingco.
Police filed an assault complaint against Ingco in the Quezon City prosecutor鈥檚 office, which will decide if he is to stand trial. No arrest warrant has been issued.
Tolentino said the video of the incident 鈥渁ffirms the truthfulness鈥� of the traffic aide鈥檚 statement, and that he would help Adriatico pursue charges against Ingco and oppose possible attempts at a settlement.听听 鈥淟et鈥檚 move towards justice.鈥�
Luxury sports cars such as Maseratis are rare sights in Manila, where narrow, ill-maintained roads breed monstrous gridlock that sometimes spark incidents of road rage. With a report from AFP, Kristine Felisse Mangunay
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