Police Colonel Roderick Mariano says he has ordered an investigation on the alleged maltreatment of four men invited to the police station over violation of enhanced community quarantine protocols. | Screengrab from CDN Digital video
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) has ordered an investigation on the alleged maltreatment of four young men when they were invited to the police station in Tuburan town in midwestern Cebu.
The four men then were invited for questioning over alleged violation of social distancing and enhanced community quarantine protocols in the town when the alleged maltreatment happened.
These men held a “social distancing-inspired” drinking spree in their neighborhood. By “social distancing-inspired, the men sat far from each other and used the base of a coconut frond or “palwa” in passing around the glass where they drank coconut wine or “tuba.”
They took a video of the drinking spree which happened on March 10, 2020 and uploaded it on March 18 when they were able to buy load for mobile data.
The young men, who have just graduated from senior high school, met with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol on Monday, April 13.
Read more: Capitol to Cebu LGUs: Cancel big events, implement curfew, social distancing
Garcia said the four men violated the social distancing rules and would face charges in relation to the provincial government’s ordinance penalizing violation of social distancing protocols.
But Randel (not his real name), one of the four men, said that when they were invited for questioning last week, they were all punched at the stomach.
He, however, did not mention who punched them.
Watch: Interview with CPPO director Police Colonel Roderick Mariano
Colonel Roderick Mariano, director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said he had already ordered the local police chief in Tuburan to probe the allegation.
“I already directed my chief of police to conduct an investigation doon sa alegasyon na may maltreatment na nangyari,” Mariano said.
“Accordingly, doon sa pakikipag-usap ko sa COP, nandoon din sya noong ininvite. Wala namang ganun na nangyari,” he added.
(Accordingly, in my conversation with the COP [chief of police], he was there when the four men were invited and he said that no such thing happened.)
Nonetheless, Mariano said an investigation would still be conducted on all offices that invited the four men to shed light to the allegation./dbs