A POLICE official on Sunday said injuries sustained by a factory worker reportedly mauled by lawmen for violating quarantine rules in General Trias City in Cavite last week were self-inflicted.
Nevertheless, Cavite provincial chief Col. Marlon Santos said he has ordered an investigation into the incident. He added two policemen involved have been relieved, pending the probe.
Earlier reports said Ronald Campo and several others were accosted by policemen in Tropical Village in Barangay San Francisco early morning last Wednesday for breaking quarantine protocols.
Campo claimed he and his companions were brought to a plaza where they were initially ordered to exercise as a penalty for their violation but were later beaten up by the policemen. He said he escaped but was later re-arrested.
Campo sustained multiple injuries, including a broken skull. He is confined at the General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital in Trece Martires City.
Citing initial investigation, Santos said Campo and other violators of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) rules who were not identified were taken into police custody for violation of the liquor ban, curfew and for going out without any quarantine pass.
“Ronald Campo, who was intoxicated, attempted to escape several times that caused his bruises and injuries on his body,” said Santos.
Santos said Campo first escaped while policemen were taking him to the city police station. While fleeing, Santos said Campo slipped and bumped into a parked motorcycle, causing bruises on his arm and face.
Campo was subdued and brought back to the police station. While waiting for his turn to be documented, Campo ran away anew, fell on the pavement twice, and jumped into a creek filled with broken bottles and garbage.
Santos said Campo then climbed a concrete fence with barbed wire on top and scaled the roof of the house of a certain Jaime Mission. “Uncontrollable movements caused him to (fall) on the ground,” Santos said.
While running away from Mission’s house, Santos said Campo grabbed Milagros Mission as a hostage “but was immediately pre-empted by Jaime Mission and several BPATs (Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team members).”
Milagros also hit Campo with a piece of wood several times but Santos still managed to escape.
Santos said Campo jumped over a fence and fell on an empty swimming pool in an adjacent house where he was cornered and handcuffed by pursuing policemen.
While on the way to the police station, Santos said Campo again escaped and ran towards Barangay Vibora but was eventually apprehended by lawmen and brought back to the police station.
Santos said Campo, while policemen were cleaning his injuries with water, again ran towards Barangay Corregidor and was collared anew.
While walking towards a faucet at the police station, Santos said Campo again ran, this time towards a convenience store.
Campo tripped on a rope, put up as an ECQ checkpoint barrier near the store, and his chest and face slammed into the pavement. After this, Santos said Campo no longer got up.
Santos said policemen brought Campo to the General Trias Medicare Hospital and was later transferred to the General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital.
Santos said witnesses issued statements to prove the injuries sustained by Campo were self-inflicted, disputing media reports that he was harmed by police officers.
Santos said charges of disobedience upon an agent or person in authority, violation of city ordinance that requires wearing of face mask, liquor ban, curfew and trespassing, have been filed against Campo.
He said Campo’s actuation, under the influence of liquor, “placed his own life in peril and danger.”
Santos said the Internal Affairs Service of the Cavite provincial police has started to investigate the incident, adding the unit has interviewed several witnesses.
He said General Trias City police chief Lt. Col. Marlon Solero has ordered the relief of two of his men involved in the incident “to provide impartial investigation.”
Santos urged the public not to pass judgment based on their emotions. “Let us look (at) the other side of the coin and see what is true based on evidence, facts and statements coming from the witnesses,” he said.
“Rest assured that we will still dig deeper into the matter and if found that there were irregularities on the part of the police officers, we will take appropriate actions,” he added.
