Charges filed vs torture cops

CRIMINAL charges were filed against nine Manila policemen before the Department of Justice (DOJ) Monday in connection with the alleged torture of an arrested robbery suspect.

The complaint for violation of Anti-Torture Act of 2009 was filed by the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Task Force Asuncion headed by Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla.

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Rongavilla said separate charges for murder would be filed once the body of victim is found and if it was proven that he died as a result of the torture.

DOJ prosecutors refrained from giving out copies of the complaint to media pending the issuance of subpoena to the parties for preliminary investigation.

Principally charged was Senior Inspector Joselito Binayug, head of the Asuncion police community precinct in Tondo. He was believed to be the cop shown in the video who was severely torturing a naked man, believed to be Darius Evangelista inside the precinct.

On the other hand, two of Binayug's superiors, Superintendents Ernesto Tendero Jr. and Rogelio Torrelino Jr., station commanders of Manila police stations 2 and 11, respectively, were likewise implicated due to "command responsibility."

Tendero has jurisdiction over Asuncion PCP and is the direct supervisor of Binayug. Torrelino, meanwhile, was also named respondent after initial investigation showed that the victim was first brought to his station where the latter was also possibly tortured.

Also named respondents were six other officers who reportedly witnessed the torture inside the PCP last March 5, namely, Joaquin de Guzman, Rodolfo Ong, Burt Tupas, Dante Bautista, Nonito Binayug and Rex Binayug.

Rongavilla said the respondent policemen have already been put on preventive suspension and have been subjected to neuro-psychiatric and drug tests at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City Monday morning.

The complaint was filed after initial investigation jointly conducted with representatives from the Commission on Human Rights showed that the respondent policemen maltreated a robbery suspect, in violation of Evangelista's rights.

Rongavilla said that although the video itself was a strong enough evidence, the complaint relied heavily on the witnesses' testimonies and their positive identification of the respondent cops.

He said that Evangelista was likewise identified by her wife, relatives, and other witnesses through the video. However, the victim remained missing.

Evangelista's wife, Rongavilla further said, tried to claim a body from a funeral parlor near the PCP last March 30, believed to be that of her husband, but the body was not released to her because she could not provide proof that it was her husband's remains.

It was also found that the body was already in an advanced stage of decomposition and was already buried last August 5. Police said the skull and bones would be subjected to forensic investigation. (JCV/Sunnex)