CHR looking into case of Manila teens believed to have been tortured, killed

MANILA, Philippines — The human rights commission has begun a probe into the deaths of two teenagers in Manila, supposedly from torture, as it condemned the incident.

A report by GMA News' "Unang Balita" said the bodies of the two victims, who were 15-year-olds, were found floating near Isla Puting Bato at the Parola compound in Tondo last week.

One of them was said to have been found with their legs and arms wrapped in tape. The victim also bore stab wounds in the head and in other parts of the body.

"We stress that all individuals have the right against cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment, which vitiate the free will and dignity of the individual," said lawyer Jacqueline de Guia, the CHR's spokesperson.

She added that the agency is appalled over the said deaths and has since sent a quick response team to look into the facts of the case.

Per the victims' relatives, the two boys were last seen on January 31 and had sought permission to play basketball.

"Kung sakaling may kasalanan 'yung apo ko, sana hindi naman ganoon na babuyin..patayin. Nilunod pa sa dagat," a grandmother of one victim said.

(If my grandson had done something wrong, I wish he was not treated that way as if he were an animal. He was killed and even drowned.)

Police Capt. Henry Navarro of the Manila police's homicide division said they are not ruling out a gang war as motive for the crime, as quoted in another GMA News Online report.

He said a tattoo on the body of one of the victims indicated he was a member of Batang City Jail.

Police have since launched backtracking efforts to trace the whereabouts of the two before the crime took place. — Christian Deiparine