CHR-Negros Or probes “police maltreatment” of an offender

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Commission on Human Rights-Negros Oriental’s special investigator Jess Cañete, on Tuesday announced he was giving a policeman ten days to file his answer to a complaint raised against him for alleged rough treatment of a detained person.

Cañete identified the policeman as Police Officer Oliver Rex Tan, assigned to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) of the Negros Oriental Police.

A complaint was filed at the CHR against Tan by Gary Calbog, of Brgy. Buñao in this city, in relation to an incident last June 1 when the policeman allegedly beat up Calbog after he was arrested for a certain offense.

Calbog’s 17-year-old nephew accompanied him to the CHR office to execute his statement on what he witnessed about the beating done by the policeman on his uncle.

The teenager narrated that, while he was walking along an interior road in Buñao, City shortly after midnight of June 1, he noticed his uncle riding his motorcycle towards his home. He then heard an explosion, similar to that of a firecracker or gunfire, prompting him to duck behind a bush.

When he emerged shortly after, he claimed that he saw Tan allegedly kicking repeatedly his uncle Gary who was at the time handcuffed. There were other witnesses also, including Calbog’s mother, who saw the beating, he said.

The policeman then called for a patrol car and, while waiting for police assistance, he was allegedly pressing his leg and foot on Calbog’s head, the teenager said.

Calbog said he was detained for a few hours before he finally asked to be admitted to the hospital, where he stayed for ten days, due to bruises and other injuries that he sustained. He added that he was not subjected to medical examination immediately after the incident, and he vowed to pursue a case against Tan.

Cañete said that even if a person was arrested for a certain offense, responding policemen should carry out their duties with utmost care to avoid violating the rights of that person, especially if the latter is already handcuffed and helpless.  (FREEMAN)