7 cops charged for man’s death

At least seven policemen were charged for the death of a 28-year-old man who was arrested after slapping a police patrol car in Madridejos town, north Cebu, four months ago.

PO2 Jeffrey Barco, PO3 Faviz Daplinan, PO2 Mamerod Caracena, PO2 Joel Pino, PO2 Michael Forrosuelo and two other unidentified policemen were charged with homicide and grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas.

The complaint said the victim Redentor Escalicas suffered severe stomach pain and died in a hospital after he was mauled by Barco inside the Madridejos police station last Jan. 30.

An autopsy by Dr. Martin Fuentes of the Philippine National Police showed that Escalicas died due to a “perforation in the gall bladder,” which he got from a worm.

But the autopsy report of Dr. Rene Cam, medicolegal officer of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7), showed that Escalicas died due to a “blunt trauma” in the body.

Escalicas’ family sought the assistance of the NBI-7.

In an interview, NBI-7 supervising agent Gregorio Algoso said Escalicas just before dying pointed to PO2 Barco as the one who mauled him in the Madridejos jail cell while the other respondents watched.

The victim failed to identify the two other policemen who mauled him.

Escalicas was later released by the police but complained of stomach pains.

His mother brought him to the Bantayan District Hospital where he later died.

After the incident, PO2 Barco was transferred to the Sta. Fe police.