2 get 8 years for Genesis ‘Tisoy’ Argoncillo’s death

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has convicted two men for the killing of Genesis Argoncillo, alias Tisoy, who was among those arrested by police in the government’s crackdown on street crimes and tambays or loiterers last year.

Justine Mercado and Richard Bautista were found guilty of killing Argoncillo in the detention cell of the Novaliches police station on June 18, 2018.

Judge Editha Mina-Aguba of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 100 sentenced Mercado and Bautista to up to eight years in prison.

They were ordered to pay the victim’s family P195,746 in damages.

Argoncillo, who was beaten to death under police custody, was the first casualty of the crackdown on tambays.

The court decision was released to media recently. 

Argoncillo was nabbed by police on June 15 last year for supposedly causing alarm and scandal in Novaliches, days after President Duterte renewed his order for an intensified campaign against street crimes.

Three days after his arrest, Argoncillo was beaten by Mercado and Bautista in their cell at the Quezon City Police District Station 4.

Mercado and Bautista were detained on charges of illegal possession of deadly weapons and illegal gambling.

The two supposedly acted as “bastoneros” or peacemakers in jail.

Police said Argoncillo died at the Novaliches District Hospital where he was taken after he complained of shortness of breath.

Contrary to the police report that Argoncillo died due to shortness of breath inside the cramped jail, an autopsy result showed that he was beaten to death.

Nine policemen, including Lt. Col. Carlito Grijaldo, former commander of the Novaliches police station, were relieved from their posts following Argoncillo’s death.