THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will take the lead in the investigation of the April 6 death of child beggar Chastity Mirables.
“We agreed with the chief of police and other law enforcement agencies that the NBI will take the lead with the case,” said Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, who chairs the Police Coordinating Advisory Council (PCAC).
Labella said he had wanted the Ombudsman-Visayas to take the lead but the agency turned down his request since they are not sure if Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu, former Fuente police precinct chief, would be a respondent in the case.
“According to them (the Ombudsman), there’s a civilian involved, so they don’t have disciplinary authority over the civilian,” Labella said.
For now the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office is also looking into the case, the vice mayor said. Unidentified members of the Fuente police station allegedly manhandled Chastity who was one of several street children rounded up on Easter Sunday last April 5. Chastity died the day after she was released from custody. An autopsy by the NBI showed she died as a result of “ blunt force trauma.”