Personnel of the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office prepare to take the Nigerian to the hospital. | MCPO photo
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) has already filed cases of murder against the six Chinese nationals, who allegedly mauled the Nigerian, who died on October 21.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, MCPO deputy city director for administration and spokesperson, said on Tuesday, October 24, that they were able to identify four of the six Chinese involved and so murder cases were filed against them.
READ: Manhunt on for suspects in fatal mauling of Nigerian in Mandaue
Murder cases filed
Oriol said they, however, had not yet identified the other two Chinese nationals, who were involved in the alleged mauling.
Despite this, the MCPO spokesperson said that they had already filed murder cases against them with those two unidentified assailants being indicated in the complaint as John Does or still unknown individuals.
The Nigerian died after allegedly being beaten by the six Chinese in an apartment in Barangay Alang-Alang in Mandaue City on Saturday, Oct. 21.
The Nigerian national was accused by the Chinese of sexually harassing their other female Chinese friend.
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Sexual harassment claimed, debunked
“According to the witness, the Nigerian national refused to work do’n sa trabaho nila, and allegedly sa mga Chinese he was suspected of sexually harassing sa kasama nila, accordingly sa ati’ng witnesses, binugbog daw sa kabila’ng kwarto, hindi na nila nakita ang actual paano binugbog,” said Oriol.
(According to the witness, the Nigerian national refused to work there on the job that he was given, and the Chinese allegedly suspected him of sexually harassing one of their coworkers. According to our witnesses, the Nigerian was mauled on the other room, they no longer saw the actual mauling.)
However, the victim’s girlfriend strongly denied the allegation.
The girlfriend said that it was not true and all they wanted was to get their salary and leave the job.
The two were employed by the Chinese as call center agents in a stay-in set-up in an apartment in Alang-Alang.
READ: Cases filed against suspect who kidnapped girl in Mandaue
Rescued by police
The girlfriend with their co-workers with different nationalities such as Chinese, Filipinos and Nigerians among others were rescued by the police.
“Hindi po totoo na hinarass ng boyfriend ko ang Chinese na boss namin kaya nila binugbog, wala pong katotohanan yan. Gusto lang namin umalis, bumalik sa Manila, kasi sa Manila naman kami,” she said.
(It is not true that her boyfriend harassed our Chinese boss and that was why he was allegedly mauled. That is not true. We just wanted to leave, go back to Manila, because we are really from Manila.)
She refused to give further details as they were still awaiting a representative from the Nigerian Embassy.
READ: Manhunt on for suspects in fatal mauling of Nigerian in Mandaue
Possible coverup of mauling Nigerian
Oriol said that they were still verifying the accusation of the Chinese.
There is also a possibility that it was just the cover-up of their mauling, he said.
The Nigerian was turned over by the Chinese to the desk officer at Mandaue City Police Station 1 on Saturday, October 21, 2023, because of alleged sexual harassment.
Collapsed at police station
However, the victim sustained severe injuries and collapsed that’s why he was brought to the Mandaue District Hospital by the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office personnel.
He was later referred to Chong Hua Hospital in Mandaue where he was declared dead on by the attending physician at 7:15 p.m.
In the initial findings, he died of head trauma, said Oriol.
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Stay, business of Chinese men, facing murder raps, verified
The Chinese are renting apartments in Barangay Alang-Alang where they allegedly operated their business.
Oriol said that they did not know yet the nature of the business because they were awaiting the report from the Cyber Crime Unit on their examination of computers found at the apartments.
Aside from the murder cases, the Chinese nationals would also face human trafficking if their stay in the country would be proven to be illegal, said Oriol.
They are already coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration.