Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate has called for a congressional investigation into the death of a detainee in Novaliches Police Station 4 (PS 4) in Quezon City, and the police’s crackdown against “tambays” (loiterers).
The opposition lawmaker criticized the operation as “a patently anti-poor measure that targets those without jobs,” while the government seems to be “not doing enough to generate jobs or lower the prices of commodities.”
“We are calling for a Congressional investigation on what happened to Tisoy, and on this supposed anti-tambay campaign,” he added in a statement, Thursday.
The allegations of police brutality while in the custodial facility of PS 4 have been made by Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo’s family. They alleged that violence and inhumane treatment were involved in his death, citing a supposed broken rib and bruise marks sustained by Argoncillo.
But Quezon City Police District (QCPD) District Director Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel, Jr. had denied the detainee died due to police brutality. He blamed instead QCPD’s “heavily congested” custodial facility.
READ: QCPD chief says death of detainee not due to police brutality
Esquivel said Argoncillo was arrested on June 15 not by virtue of any City Ordinances or the police’s “anti-tambay sa kalye” operation but due to alarm and scandal.
Bayan Muna chairman and former Rep. Neri Colmenares also denounced Argoncillo’s death.
“This supposed anti-tambay campaign is similar to curtailment to the freedom of movement and freedom of assembly during the time of Marcos. Duterte is consistently copying Marcos’ anti-people policies and establishing an emerging tyrannical regime,” Colmenares said.
“Wala daw dapat naaaresto sa kampanyang ito pero sabi mismo ng pulis na mahigit pitong libo na ang nahuhuli nila. There is no law that allows them to arrest a ‘tambay’. Sa halip na mga tambay ang pinag-iinitan nila ay ayusin nila ang kawalan ng trabaho sa bansa para mawala ang mga tambay,” he added.
There is no reason to arrest Argoncillo in the first place even if authorities use the Civil Code for public nuisance, Zarate asserted.
Zarate said under Article 694, a nuisance is any act, omission, establishment, business, condition of property, or anything else which:
(1) Injures or endangers the health or safety of others; or
(2) Annoys or offends the senses; or
(3) Shocks, defies or disregards decency or morality; or
(4) Obstructs or interferes with the free passage of any public highway or street, or any body of water; or
(5) Hinders or impairs the use of property.
“Tisoy’s actions hardly fall under any of these categories and he certainly does not deserve to be arrested or killed for sitting near his house,” Zarate stressed. /kga