CEBU CITY – Charges have been filed against three policemen accused of beating up a drug suspect on Holy Thursday.
Policemen Reoven Carmelo Rota, Vernie Magali and Brenro Tudtud of the Talamban Police Station were charged with alleged violation of the Republic Act 9745, or the “Anti-Torture Act.”
The charges were filed at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
The ranks of the policemen were not specified in the complaint.
City police chief Royina Garma has confirmed that eight policemen were pulled out from the Talamban police station in relation to the allegations.
Garma did not reveal the names of the relieved officers.
In their affidavit, the two complainants, who asked not to be named, said the three policemen and several others were the ones who appeared in a viral video showing policemen in civilian clothes beating up a man identified as Edwin Basillote.
The complainants said the mauling happened at the ground floor of a two-story building in Barangay Carreta.
They said they were playing pin ball machines when six men in civilian attire barged in.
The men, who were armed with long firearms, introduced themselves as policemen.
The men then mauled Basillote while looking for illegal drugs, the complainants said.
Basillote has accused Garma of threatening to kill him and his family members if they would push through with filing of charges against the police.
Garma denied the allegations and threatened to file libel charges against the Basillotes. (Calvin Cordova)
