ZAMBOANGA CITY – The local police are investigating three of its officers following the death of a waiter under their custody.
The Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) are investigating the trio, Col. Alexander Lorenzo, the local police chief, told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo, on Wednesday, June 21.
The three officers, whose names were not identified, have
been relieved from their posts following the death of Reynaldo Paragas Jr.
The report quoted Lorenzo as saying that the RIAS obtained a
copy of the autopsy on the corpse of Paragas who died while being escorted by
the officers to the police station following an altercation with a retired
police major identified only by his last name as Cuartocruz at the bar where he
was working.
“Ang otopsiya, iyon po ang pinagbabasehan ng RIAS, based
po doon sa natamong mga bruises at mga bukol ay iyon na po ang tinitingnan...
Kasi ang nakuha lang po na CCTV camera ay doon lamang po sa isang restaurant at
malayong lugar po to, nasa malayong barangay sa Zamboanga City,” Lorenzo said.
Lorenzo said Cuartocruz, a stroke victim, was persistently
asking Paragas to serve him beer, even if he was advised against doing so by
his fellow retired officer and his son. Paragas refused Cuartocruz's requests,
resulting in a heated argument that later allegedly escalated into a fistfight.
Officers had told Paragas’ kin that the victim had died
after jumping out of a police car following the brawl. But Paragas' relative
Cecilia, quoting a doctor, told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo on Tuesday, June 13, that
the victim might have been hit by a hard object based on his head injuries.
“Hindi namin alam kung paano makuha ang hustisya,” she said.
Lorenzo said the officers were already under the police
administrative custody while the investigation on Paragas’ death was ongoing.
The regional and the local police have not released an official press statement
on the incident. (ABS-CBN, Mindanao Examiner)
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