3 Cebu minors arrested for theft recount ordeal

CEBU CITY — Three children aged 13 to 15, were thrown in jail last Saturday after security guards of a company caught them with jalousie blades reportedly stolen from the building.

But that is only the beginning of the story, as the children recounted tales of maltreatment and neglect since they were caught, beaten and detained three days ago.

The three minors were put in a cell meant for adult offenders after they were caught carrying 34 jalousie blades missing from the compound of Taipan Development Corp., at about 4 p.m Saturday.

However, they claimed they were only looking for scraps of stainless steel inside the compound, which they planned to sell so they could have lunch money in school.

Thirteen-year-old Sander (not his real name) said that a certain Anol was actually robbing the place, but they were the ones who got collared after he managed to escape.

A representative of Taipan Development Corp., Leo Macariñas, said there had been a series of robberies in the compound prior to last Saturday’s incident.

The three children said they ran when the guards approached them. They hid in the ceiling of the building, which they claimed had holes big enough for someone to crawl through.

They were up in the ceiling when they were caught. They were then dragged out and the guards began to beat them, the children alleged.

The first to be caught was Sander, who claimed one of the guards kicked him twice, and that a female guard also tried to pistol-whip him but missed.

Fourteen-year-old Ar-em claimed that another guard kicked him twice and that he was also pistol-whipped. Fifteen-year-old Edwin, on the other hand, claimed that another guard slapped him.

When The Freeman sought Macariñas’ comment, he said he could not tell who beat the minors since residents in the area also ganged up on the children and mauled them.

The minors confirmed there were bystanders but alleged that one of those who kicked them was Macariñas himself.

Macariñas was carrying the results of the medical tests conducted on the minors but he immediately wrestled them away from a Freeman reporter who tried to copy the findings.

But the boys’ ordeal was not yet over, as they were again beaten that night, this time by the harsh weather.

The boys were detained inside a cell which only had a single bamboo bench. Rain poured and flooded the cell. They, however, had no choice but to sleep on a cardboard on the floor, which was rapidly being soaked by water.

Sander suffered a high fever that night. He said he thought his fever might have been due to the beating he suffered that afternoon.

Sander’s mother said a policeman bought him medicine, but Sander remained feverish for three days, only showing signs of recovery Monday afternoon.

A Fuente Osmeña policeman, however, denied that the boys had to sleep on a flooded floor. He said benches were moved into the detention cell so the minors could have something dry to lie down on.

But a detainee in an adjacent cell told The Freeman that he did not see any benches being brought there Sunday night.

Despite the ordeal, the boy’s parents said they were not pressing any charges against the security guards who allegedly abused their children.

They said they don’t have money and cannot afford to file a case in court. The three boys are children of laundrywomen while Sander’s father buys scrap metal that he resells. — Freeman News Service