MANILA, Philippines—The police on Monday denied that militant leader Obito Marquez was tortured and placed under the government’s witness protection program.

“It is not true that he was placed under such program. They could even check with the Department of Justice,” said Senior Superintendent Noel Delos Reyes, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police-Intelligence Group in a phone interview Sunday night.

Marquez was captured in Taguig City by virtue of a warrant of arrest nearly two weeks ago, said Delos Reyes.

But he denied that the 31-year-old leader of the Mindoro-based Katipunan ng Samahang Magsasaka sa Timog Katagalugan was tortured before he was transferred to the Crame Custodial Center.

Human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog earlier claimed that Marquez had bruises in his body and complained that his hands were in pain.

Delos Reyes explained that the bruises were confined to his wrists, brought about by the handcuffs.

Marquez was among the 72 activists charged with the bombing of cell sites and multiple murders and multiple frustrated murders for allegedly participating in the New People’s Army ambush in Mindoro two years ago.