Complaint filed vs Sen. Hocog

Victor B. Hocog

A vocal government critic has filed a complaint against Sen. Victor Hocog (R-Saipan) for allegedly attempting to assault him while he was giving a testimony at a public Senate session yesterday.

Fabian Indalecio has filed complaint charges against Hocog for allegedly “charging at him” and for shouting profanities at him during a public session yesterday on Capital Hill.

Indalecio, who immediately contacted police after he was escorted out of the Senate chamber following the incident, claims he was just exercising his right to free speech when Hocog allegedly tried to assault him.

“I was exercising my right to [free] speech and speaking for the people who can’t speak for themselves. The senator, who is supposed to be working for us, [cusses] at me and charges in my direction,” he said.

Indalecio told police officers that he was reading his testimony when Senate President Jude Hofschneider (R-Saipan) stopped him, saying he was straying from the point of the session’s discussion. This angered Indalecio, prompting him to accuse the entire Senate of being “corrupt” and leading to Hocog’s alleged outburst.

“The Senate president felt like my testimony was [out of context] but I was leading to my point, when he decided I should be escorted out. So I got very angry and said that the whole bunch of them was corrupt and Victor Hocog decided to shout profanities at me before he stood up and charged [in] my direction. The sergeant-at-arms had to block him from coming at me. He was very aggressive. Then he was escorted to the president’s chambers,” Indalecio told officers.

Indalecio said that he wants to file a complaint against the senator because he is afraid for his life.

“I was not violent, I was just expressing my opinion because I have a right to freedom of speech. I felt very threatened by his approach, I was scared. I fear for my life now, this all so concerning especially for a senator,” he said.

Responding officers took Indalecio’s complaint and assured him that they would log his police report and launch an investigation into his complaint.

Meanwhile, Sen. Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) also spoke with police officers to corroborate Indalecio’s story, stating that he witnessed Hocog saying profanities at Indalecio and stand up as if to charge at him.

“I don’t really think [Indalecio] was out of order. I believe everyone should be given the freedom to practice their right to freedom of speech. That was not right of Hocog. We are a democracy and as leaders, we should allow people to practice their right to freedom of speech,” he said.

Manglona said he wanted to stand up for Indalecio because he (Manglona) has been at the receiving end of Hocog’s temper before, with Hocog allegedly also attempting to charge at him during a previous session in February.

“I’m still waiting for the final police report. There hasn’t been any progress on that. I’m concerned about what’s happening. It’s become a common practice in the CNMI Senate that when somebody says something you don’t like, you go on and start a fight. That’s why I feel for Fabian,” he said.