TRS police face complaint before CHR

CEBU, Philippines - The mother of the maid who was arrested for allegedly stealing cash from her employer in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City recently filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) 7 against five policemen who allegedly mauled her daughter to admit the crime.

Janice Espera, 28, said that she was forced to admit that she stole P160,000 from her employer because the police hurt her during tactical interrogation last Sept. 9.

Accused of mauling were SPO3 Marlon Mendoza, PO3s Mark Betonio and Edward Escultor, and PO1s Dennis Labra and Ronald Ernie, all from the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office.

Espera, a native of Asturias, Cebu, was arrested last Sept. 8 after reportedly admitting to the police that she was the one who stole the money from her employers Rufina Tanchan and her son Contantine Tanchan last Sept. 8.

However, she later recanted and told reporters yesterday that the police hit her head, spanked her hand and punched her.

“Gidukdok nila akong ulo, akong kamot gibunalan unya ang akong bukton gipiktan sa kinumo. Nahadlok na lang pud ko, niangkon na lang ko bisa’g wala koy nakuha tinuoray,” the house helper said.

She added that she was having a headache because she was hungry then. (They hit my head and arm, I was so scared so I admitted to something I did not do.)

“Kanang kwarta na ilang gipasangil, wa jud ko nangawat bisan piso ana kay wala ko mingsulod sa ilang kwarto bisan kausa,” the suspect said. (I never took a single cent from them. I never went inside their room.)

The suspect further alleged that she was about to get water from the victim’s kitchen when she saw a woman getting out of the Tanchans’ room.

She allegedly was supposed to shout for help but no voice came out from her mouth.

She then went to her fellow house helpers and told them what she saw. When they went to Tanchans room, the woman was no longer there.

Espera also denied what she earlier alleged that she went to see two of her relatives the following day outside her employer’s gate to give the P160,000 cash that she stole.

“Storya ra to nako ma’am na nakigkita but di ko kagawas kay way lugar. Akoy pinakasayo momata kay ako’y nagluto but wala ko kalakaw kay busy ko sa kusina. Atrasawo na sa oras,” she said yesterday. (It’ s not true I went out to see them, I didn’t have time to do that because I woke up early and was busy with cooking.)

Betonio, in a separate interview, said the house helper’s allegations were not true.

“Dili na tinuod nga gidagmalan namo siya. Ma-babaye o ma-lalaki, wala gyud namo na gi-practice diri na mangulata,” the police officer told reporters. (It’s not true we hit her. We don’t do that here.)

Betonio then showed a medical certificate they have secured from the Cebu City Medical Center dated Sept. 10 with a diagnosis showing that there were no external findings noted at the time of the examination on Espera. The attending physician was Aida Castro.

Lilibeth Llona, CHR 7 investigator, said they helped Espera to identify the police who allegedly mauled her during a police line up yesterday.

She said they will investigate the alleged mauling case, but not the qualified case itself filed against the house helper. Espera’s mother served as the complainant before the CHR 7. JPM (FREEMAN)