Mother of "mauled" minor won't file charges

CEBU, Philippines – The mother of the juvenile allegedly mauled by two Talisay City policemen after he was arrested for stealing a cellphone has decided not to file charges against the police.

The outgoing acting director of Cebu Provincial Police Office Supt. Erson Digal said that after the investigation it was found out that no charges will be filed against PO2 Roelito Tano and PO1 Jundave David.

“Dili man mo-file ug kaso ang menor de edad kay mokonsulta pa daw siya sa iyang pamilya. So for the meantime close ang kaso,” Digal said.

 He said the decision was reached without their influence.

Earlier, the CPPO called for its own investigation into the alleged mauling to erase the doubts that the investigation is biased.

Digal ordered Insp. Ruben Cuizon of the Provincial Investigation Detective and Management Branch to make their own investigation, and also include Talisay City police chief Supt. Henry Biñas.

Hermogina Rabaya, the mother of the minor, accused Tano and David of mauling her son and detaining him with adult prisoners after the boy was arrested for stealing the cellphone of a trisikad driver.

She also alleged that the police beat up her son, who the authorities insist is already 18 years old.

Aside from the trisikad driver, who is also a minor, another person has come forward to accuse the suspect of robbery.

The victim, a call center agent living in Canton Ville, barangay San Isidro, Talisay City, positively identify the suspect as the one who robbed her while she was about to go to work. – Christopher Gabriel C. Bonjoc/BRP (THE FREEMAN)