Chief Inspector Wildemar Tiu reported back to work yesterday after a month-long vacation, saying he wanted to clear his name and those of his personnel in Fuente Osmeña station from allegations of police brutality in handling street children.
“Not one of my personnel is responsible. That is one thing for sure,” he told reporters. He complained about adverse media reports and “below the belt accusations.”
Tiu insisted that 11-year-old Chastity Mirabiles was never picked up on Easter Sunday by his men or detained in the station, contrary to accounts of her family and social workers of the Cebu city government who brought the case to the attention of City Hall after the child beggar collapsed and died on the street on April 6.
He said again that Chastity’s name was not in the list of 14 minors who were rounded up on Easter Sunday based on the “Pink Blotter” of the station.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is wrapping up its inquiry into the girl’s death, and said it would soon be filing murder charges against the parties responsible.
The testimony of an 11-year-old girl who accompanied Chastity and NBI autopsy findings that Chastity died as a result of blunt force trauma injuries are key evidence in the case.
MAYOR’S CHOICE
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Rama said he wanted Tiu “temporarily reassigned” to the Cebu City Police office until the investigation is over and for Chief Inspector David Señor to continue as the acting chief.
He appeared surprised that Tiu had resumed his post in the Fuente station and said he would ask Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, regional police director.
“Why did that happen? I have to check why they did not prepare for this,” said the mayor.
“Let him (Tiu) answer all of these (allegations). And once everything is okay, then let him come back. It’s as simple as that. We’re not condemning him,” said Rama since “this is not an ordinary case.”
He said Tiu would be given due process and that a reassignment was not relief from his post or a preventive suspension but “just a temporary reassignment.”
No sanctions have been taken against 15 police officers who were on duty in the Fuente station on Easter Sunday.
Tiu yesterday said the Fuente station would continue the Libod Suroy program to “rescue” children from the streets , but this time following strict protocol of turning over minors to social workers and having social workers accompany police operations.
Asked about two other cases in Fuente police station involving maltreatment of street children which were raised by the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) — one for shaving the heads of girls and another for apprehending a minor without informing his parents or social workers — Tiu said, “I will answer to the appropriate body.”
Tiu said government agencies should validate information before giving statements that harm one’s reputation. “Perhaps I will have to discuss this with my lawyer. I am making that a consideration. But I am looking forward that there will be immediate results to clear us from the allegations. This is damaging to me and my family. Even the family of my personnel were really demoralized,” said Tiu.
After his 20-minute press conference, Tiu boarded a patrol car to check Osmena Boulevard for street children. Some reporters followed.