CHR asks residents not to judge agency prematurely

CEBU, Philippines - The supervising investigator of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said the grievances aired by the neighbors of Papua New Guinean Bennidict Penini are still premature for now.

Primo Cadampog of CHR 7 said they are conducting their own investigation and they will eventually have to get the allegations from Penini’s neighbors who earlier criticized CHR for defending only the rights of the foreigner.

“Kanang ilang alegasyon, pamati-on ra man namo na. Supporting evidence na gikan nila. Premature pa if muingon sila ana. Nag-conduct pa ta og investigation in our own initiative,” said Cadampog who was in Cebu City Police Office yesterday for a separate case. (We will listen to their side and look at any evidence from them. It’s premature for them to judge us because we have yet to finish the investigation.)

Right now, Cadampog said they are still trying to document the testimonies of a witness who can testify or show that PO2 Bradfor Lavandero and PO1 Phillip James Tanza of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) “need not maul the foreigner.”

But even without the documents, Cadampog said their case will proceed.

“We will present our investigation after motawag si attorney Friz Lastimoso (Penini’s lawyer) ug mubalik to diri,” the CHR 7 official further said.

Last Friday, close to 10 neighbors of Penini swarmed CCPO’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch to execute affidavit that the two SWAT personnel, who responded to last Sept. 9’s incident, are their “heroes” while Penini “posed risk to their lives.”

 The residents also criticized CHR 7 for “defending” Penini, saying that they fell betrayed that the foreigners are being treated better in our own land.

Last Sept. 9, Penini reportedly went amuck and even hit the face of a taxi driver nearby.

Lavandero and Tanza responded and allegedly hit Penini’s face with the butt of an armalite rifle while trying to subdue him.

The alleged mauling was caught on video by a television crew who went to the area to cover the incident, thus, the investigation from CHR 7. JPM (FREEMAN)