SPO1 Elvis Anunciado of the Mabolo Police station identified the victim as Gani Mendez, a resident of sitio Back Makro, barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
Anunciado told The FREEMAN that two of their policemen - PO1 Julieto Elarcoza and PO1 Bernard Erojo - rescued and untied Mendez from the said tree.
This was after Mabolo Police received a call yesterday morning from a concerned citizen about a man who was tied to a tree.
When Erojo and Elarcoza arrived, they reportedly found the victim bloodied, prompting them to take him to the Cebu City Medical Center.
Police learned that more than three unidentified persons mauled him before he was tied around the tree. Then he was left there with a cardboard above his head with the words "Ako 1 ka kawatan" written in bold letters.
Residents reportedly suspected the victim to be a thief lurking during the wee hours of the morning, Anunciado said.
Identities of those responsible for the mauling of the victim could not yet be determined. But, a man named Boy Caindoy who was interviewed by "Balitang Bisdak" over at GMA-7 late afternoon yesterday admitted he and his friends mauled Mendez and tied him to the said tree after he was reportedly caught by Caindoy's neighbor about to steal garments hanging from the clothesline. - Edwin Ian Melecio