You know you still have star power if law enforcement officers pose for a photo with you right after you get arrested.
On Mon night, Oct 3, actor Mark Anthony Fernandez was arrested in Angeles City, Pampanga for marijuana possession. Fernandez, who was driving his car, had allegedly attempted to avoid a checkpoint. After a brief car chase, the police finally nabbed him.
The authorities reportedly found one kilo of marijuana inside Fernandez’s car. The actor claimed that he used marijuana “to prevent cancer” and that what was found in his car was his supply for the year.
In any case, a photo of Fernandez with two smiling female police officers went viral sometime after his arrest.
Reports say that the photo was first shared on Facebook by Nathan Hachero Azarcon.
In a Philippine Daily Inquirer story, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa weighed in on the viral photo. He said, “I don’t like that picture because as law enforcers, ano ba? Na-starstruck ka pa rin sa isang criminal offender, ‘di ba? Hinuli siya ‘di ba at ngayon magpa-pa-picture ka pa doon?”
(“I don’t like that picture because as law enforcers, what did you do that for? It’s like you acted starstruck in front of a criminal offender, right? He was arrested and yet you still want to have your picture taken with him?)
Dela Rosa went on to say that he will ask the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to determine if the lady cops violated any policies.
However, unlike dela Rosa, Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino thinks the lady cops didn’t really do anything wrong. He explained, “But pagsasabihan ko sila na hindi proper magpa-picture sa isang suspect. Nagkataon lang naman kasi na celebrity ‘yung suspect. Hindi naman nila ‘yun sinasadya.”
(“But I would reprimand them that it is not appropriate to take photos with a suspect. It just happened that the suspect is a celebrity. They didn’t mean to do it.”)
