Mayor Beng Climaco is calling for an investigation and filing of appropriate charges if necessary against a policeman who allegedly hit a traffic enforcer over a traffic violation yesterday at the Zamboanga City Medical Center.

Climaco said she will write a letter to the police regional director asking for an investigation into the incident even as she advised the traffic enforcer named Rameses Ablao to have the incident blottered at the Police Station 11 and to file charges against the policeman identified only as a certain PO1 Ynawat.

Abalo, who personally complained to the mayor after the incident, narrated that about 7:05 a.m. yesterday he saw a car “out of the line” at the ZCMC, prompting him to call the attention of the driver, only to find out the driver was a policeman in uniform bearing the nametag Ynawat with a rank of PO1.

At that juncture, Ablao said the policeman, who was driving the car with his mother, got irked and badmouthed him and even challenged him in this wise: “Magsumbong ka kahit kanino, kahit sa mayor pa. Wag kang magpakita sa akin.”

He said the policeman hit him in the neck, causing him an injury.

The mayor bewailed that the policeman must be thoroughly investigated and must face charges of physical abuse, grave threat or perhaps assault to a person in authority (enforcing traffic rules), if applicable.

“The police should respect our traffic enforcers because they are working hard to manage vehicular traffic on the streets for the good of the commuting public,” the chief executive said.

Ablao, who has just been promoted to casual, was pulled out from his area of assignment at the ZCMC and detailed him temporarily at City Hall.-(Vic Larato)