All in the line of duty.
The police officer who was drenched in taho (soybean curd drink) after a Chinese woman threw her cup at him has been awarded a Medalya ng Papuri, a Philippine National Police (PNP) commendation medal earlier today at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde and former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go awarded the medal to PO1 William Cristobal, radio station RMN reported.
The Medalya ng Papuri is awarded to PNP members who demonstrated exemplary efficiency, devotion, and loyalty to their duty assignments.
Albayalde also commended Cristobal for his patience despite being humiliated by 23-year-old Jiale Zhang who now faces assault charges.
Cristobal also filed complaints of direct assault, disobedience to an agent of a person in authority, and unjust vexation against Zhang at the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office earlier today, ABS-CBN News reported.
Zhang, a freshman Bachelor of Fashion student at the School of Fashion and Arts (SoFA) Design Institute in Makati, threw a cup of taho at Cristobal after she was barred from entering the train at the MRT Boni Station in Mandaluyong City on Saturday morning.
She was stopped from entering because of the new liquid ban on Metro Manila trains. Train lines have banned commuters from bringing bottled drinks and other liquids to their stations after the recent bombings in Mindanao. Bottled liquids are banned as they can be used as “liquid bombs.”
She threw the taho while Cristobal explained the new security policy. She was detained after the incident.
READ: MRT-3 releases list of liquids that are allowed inside trains
The incident has gone viral and many have called for Zhang to get deported. Metro Manila cops are also asking help from the Bureau of Immigration to have the Chinese national deported, Rappler added.
Vice President Leni Robredo reacted to the incident yesterday on her weekly radio show saying that it is not only an insult towards the police but also towards the Philippines and its citizens, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
While many fumed over the incident, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. remains chill about it.
He said on his Twitter on Saturday that the incident was a “non-issue” and that “it can happen anywhere to anyone in any country.”
Aw c'mon. Let's not be trivial. This can happen anywhere to anyone in any country. Aggression by taho? Defense by the same? Boy we really need arms deals to flesh out our sense of nationhood and sovereignty. This non-issue trying to be one is pathetic.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 9, 2019
He added that while Zhang should face charges, she should not be deported. “She’s a student who believes enough in us to study here.”
Absolutely. Charge her. But deport? She’s a student who believes enough in us to study here. https://t.co/CUlRJ1B8Sx
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 10, 2019
Do you think she should be deported? Leave a comment below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
