MANILA, Philippines — The police officers who allegedly forced a curfew violator in Cavite to perform strenuous exercise routines that resulted in his death should face sanctions, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Ildebrandi Usana said Tuesday.
In an interview with INQUIRER.net’s INQside Look, Usana said that the investigation is still ongoing regarding the death of Darren Penaredondo who allegedly violated the curfew being enforced in Cavite and was ordered by police to perform 300 strenuous squat exercise routines.
While Usana said the PNP does not want to preempt the investigation, they are “anticipating” that sanctions will be imposed against the police officers for defying the orders of PNP chief Debold Sinas that no arrests should be made in relation to quarantine protocols such as curfew.
“We do not want to preempt the ongoing investigation by the provincial director of Cavite but we really are anticipating sanctions will be imposed on the erring police officers,” Usana said.
“Of course, they have defied the orders coming from the chief PNP himself. They didn’t even know the implication of putting these violators in their custody and third, physical exercises are not even considered as a punishment and they should not have imposed this to anyone,” he added.
Usana added: “As far as the chief of police and the two police officers are concerned, they really will have to face sanctions based on our existing administrative disciplinary machinery.”
Aside from the administrative sanctions, the police officers may also face criminal charges depending on the results of the investigation, said Usana.
“We still do not know whether the acts committed by the police officers would have bearing on the medical history of Mr. Darren Penaredondo and the doctors will also have to explain this,” Usana said.
“In that case, we have to go back to the motive. Is there a criminal motive or criminal intent on the part of the two police officers that Mr Penarodondo suffered unjustly? If that’s the case then they will have to face criminal action,” he added.
The police chief of General Trias City in Cavite province and two other policemen have been sacked over Penaredondo’s death after two others arrested for curfew violations submitted sworn statements supporting the narrative that curfew violators were being subjected to physical punishment.