Cebu City (Google maps)
CEBU CITY–At least three policemen were charged on Monday for allegedly beating up a drug suspect and two other civilians on Holy Thursday.
Facing a case of torture, robbery, grave threats, and serious physical injuries were Reoven Carmelo Rota, Vernie Magdali, and Brenro Tudtud—all of the Talamban Police Station. Reports did not mention the suspects’ police rank, however.
Also implicated in the case were certain Tagalog, Lagunsad, and Adalim.
The two supposed victims executed judicial affidavits recounting how they were mauled at a gaming shop in Barangay Carreta in Cebu City last April 18.
One of those mauled was drug suspect Eddie Basillote who is now detained at the Cebu City Police Office’s detention facility.
Four witnesses signed the affidavit while a USB, containing a copy of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) video that showed the mauling incident, was attached as evidence in the case.
The cases will undergo the regular preliminary investigation at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
In their affidavits, the complainants said they were playing Pin Ball machines at the ground floor of a two-storey building in Sitio Ponce, Barangay Carreta around 12 midnight of April 18, when they heard a loud banging on the door.
“Then a few seconds after, there were six persons with firearms and no uniform who barged inside the place,” said the joint affidavit of the complainants, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer.
“They immediately blurted out that they are policemen, then they charged at us. The first person went to Basillote and hit him in the face, and he was carrying a handgun,” the complaint added.
According to the complainants, the other policemen hit one of them and forced them to kneel to the ground. Later the victims were dragged to the back portion of the room and was continuously mauled there, hitting their arms, sides, backs, and legs.
“They forced us to lay straight facing the ground. They pointed gun at our temples. They told us that we are not allowed to look back.”
The complainants also said they heard Basillote asking the supposed policemen in Cebuano: “We are only playing here. Why are you hitting us?”
The alleged policemen were also heard asking them where they hid the illegal drugs.
In the viral video, a woman carrying an infant was also seen on the footage. She was also shoved off by one of the attackers.
Basillote was later dragged by the armed men outside while one of the attackers allegedly took P750 from one of the victim’s pockets.
The victims added that when the attackers left, they were informed by Basillote’s wife that there was a CCTV recording and began identifying the attackers.
“We were hurt not only physically. The attack also traumatized us. We are very scared to go out of our houses now and we cannot mingle with the community without being paranoid and weary of our surroundings,” the complainants added. /jpv