DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 13, 2008) – A village watchman who was arrested by the police for public scandal was brutally mauled inside a jail and died later at a hospital in Davao City in the southern Philippines.
Ludovico Marcelo, who was arrested September 6 I Talomo district, died four days later and his wife, Rustica, appealed to justice officials and human rights groups to investigate the death.
Senior Superintendent Ramon Apolinario, the city police chief, has ordered an investigation into the incident. Marcelo, of Matina village, was drunk when he was arrested and jailed.
Marcelo’s body was full of bruises and badly beaten when rushed to the hospital by his wife when she visited the jail. She said Marcelo died from hemorrhage and internal injuries because of the beatings he received from inmates.
But Marcelo’s family blamed policemen assigned to guard the jail for failing to prevent prisoners from mauling him. The motive of the mauling was unknown or whether the jail guards ordered Marcelo beaten up or not. (Romy Bwaga)
For three months now, some 100 people are still in evacuation center at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish in Talomo District in Davao City in Mindanao after their houses were washed away by the flash flood late this June. The City Government of Davao have already handed P10,000 in aid but is not enough to help the refugees rebuild their house and buy food and daily needs. Just like mothers Jennelyn Surigao, Editha Abarquez and Analiza Castigador, many are still hoping to return to their areas soon and live a normal life again. (AKP Images / Keith Bacongco)
