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MANILA — The Baguio police said Thursday it is studying lodging an administrative case against a judge who allegedly helped a drunk taxi driver evade complaints for assaulting a lawman.

The taxi driver cursed at and threatened to run over a police officer who flagged him for parking near the Baguio municipal hall on New Year's Eve, said the city's police chief Col. Rae Co.

Video footage showed the taxi moving towards the police officer, who had to cling onto the car's hood to avoid being run over.

The taxi driver tested positive for alcohol, Co said.



But as police prepared him for inquest, a "well-known" judge arrived at the station, claimed that the incident only warranted fines and left with the taxi driver within 5 minutes, said Co.

Only a desk officer, the arresting policeman and another officer were at the station when the incident happened because their colleagues were busy with "frenzied" detainee visits and preparations for New Year, he added.

"Wala po silang nakuhanan ng advice... Napagalitan po natin iyong mga pulis, pero hindi rin natin masisi. Siyempre, knowledgeable po sa law iyong dumating and they deferred to him," Co told radio DZMM.

(They failed to get advice. We chided the police officers, but we can't blame them. Of course, the person who arrived was knowledgeable on the law and they deferred to him.)

"I was advised, directed by the mayor (Benjamin Magalong) to study iyong admin case po that we will be able to file against the judge," he said.

The judge, who is allegedly a relative of the taxi owner and identified as Roberto Mabalot in a television report, denied that he knew the full extent of the driver's violation.

"Positive siya sa lahat ng tests [for alcohol]... Talagang may kasalanan siya, hindi ko siya inayunan," he was quoted as saying in the report.

Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said his office "is already looking into this issue."

"We would like to get all available information before we require the concerned judge to comment," he added in a statement.

The police on Thursday will file complaints against the driver for drunk driving, oral defamation and grave threats, resisting arrest, disobedience to authority and direct assault, said Co.

Mabalot is the presiding judge of the Baguio City Municipal Trial Court, Benguet Branch 1, according to the Supreme Court website.

The Baguio government this year will implement a 15-point plan to improve parking and traffic in the city, where some 2 million tourists flocked during the Christmas and New Year holidays, said Vice Mayor Faustino Olowa.