Relatives and friends of Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo attend his burial in his hometown in Barangay Bagongon, Concepcion, Iloilo on July 15, 2018. NESTOR BURGOS/Inquirer Visayas
ILOILO CITY —The young man who died on June 19 while in detention in a Quezon City jail was finally laid to rest on Saturday afternoon in his hometown in Barangay Bagongon in Concepcion town.
Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo, 22, was arrested at his elder sister’s residence in Quezon City for loitering without a shirt outside their house. He died four days later in jail.
Around 600 relatives and residents of the island barangay attended Argoncillo’s funeral. They walked from the family residence to the cemetery, passing the shoreline. Some came from the mainland of Concepcion town, which is about 45 minutes by motorboat.
Relatives carried streamers and banners calling for justice.
Police have filed charges against two detainees at the Novaliches police station whom they accused of beating up Argoncillo.
His family, however, is skeptical of the police story and believes he was beaten up by policemen or on orders of police officers.
Argoncillo was 16 when he left his village to seek a better future in Metro Manila.
“He finally came home after seven years but to be buried. We want justice,” his sister Marilou told the INQUIRER in a telephone interview.
Their father, Sergio, had not seen his son for seven years and was heart-broken that he came home in a casket, according to Marilou.
“He came to live with me in Manila to find work. Why was he arrested and why did he die?” she asked.
Reylan Vergara, secretary general of the human rights groups of Karapatan in Panay, said Argoncillo was among the many victims of the “inhumane and anti-poor” policy of the government against loiterers.
“Like its murderous anti-drug campaign, this policy victimizes the poor and defenseless residents in communities,” Vergara said.
Marilou vowed to pursue justice for her brother.“He was a good person who did nothing wrong,” she said. /ee