IMUS CITY, Cavite — At least five sickly inmates reportedly died in hospitals after having breathing difficulty while in city and municipal police jails in Cavite province since the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) has been enforced in March 17 due to the coronavirus disease (CoVID-19) pandemic.
The demise of the PUPCs or Persons Under Police Custody, the police term for inmates, were reported in the cities of Dasmariñas and Bacoor and municipalities of General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) and Kawit from March 30 to April 23.
Each of the five PUPCs, including one with fever, had all breathing difficulty while in their cells. They were pronounced dead in hospitals where they were brought by police officers.
Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) reports identified the PUPC fatalities as Romeo dela Pascion Peyra, Michael Taway Dreu, Cesar Veluz Javier, Joey Gavila Benicio, and Peter John Caparino.
Peyra died last Thursday night at Pagamutan ng Dasmariñas, a public hospital, after he had suffered breathing difficulty and was found unconscious in his cell reportedly six days earlier.
The PUPC, who was detained for violation of Republic Act 9262 (Violence Against Women and Children Act) last April 8 was brought to the hospital on April 17 for treatment, according to a report.
The cause of Peyra’s death was not immediately known as the result of his autopsy examination was still being awaited.
Dreu, 37, a PUPC of GMA police was reported declared dead on arrival at the General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital in Trece Martires City, Cavite, where he was brought by municipal chief of police, Major Jaypee de Guzman, and a jail officer, after being not accommodated by a private hospital in Dasmariñas City, also in Cavite, as the facility rooms were filled with patients.
Dreu, a resident of Biclatan, General Trias City, was reportedly detained on charges of drugs and violation for Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act) after his arrest last February 25.
Initial police report showed that Dreu was found having breathing difficulty in the GMA police jail by other inmates at 12 a.m. of April 21.
Dreu, accompanied by De Guzman and his officers, was first brought to the private hospital in Dasmariñas but was told that the facility was loaded with patients.
They brought Dreu to the provincial hospital in Trece Martires where he was reportedly declared dead on arrival.
Master Sergeant Jonarey Gajolin Visca, officer-on-case, reported that relatives of the PUPC were informed of the incident. The local health office doctor ordered the PUCP’s swab testing.
Initial findings showed that Dreu probably succumbed to high risk pneumonia.
Police requested for an autopsy examination on the PUPC to determine the cause of his death. .
Javier, 57, reportedly died last April 17 at Las Piñas General Hospital, a day after he was found having fever and breathing problem while in detention at the Kawit municipal jail.
The PUPC, a resident of Barangay Wakas II, Kawit, had been detained on a drug charge since last March 9.
The authorities said that Javier likely succumbed to heart failure and had ruled out coronavirus disease (CoVID-19) as the cause.
Master Sergeant Roldan V. Requioma, case investigator, reported that prior to his detention, Javier was diagnosed to have tuberculosis and that he had been under medication.
The information about the demise of Javier and the incident were relayed to the Kawit Rural Health office and the local government unit, according to Requioma.
The Bacoor police reported that Benicio, 44, died at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital after he was found having difficulty in breathing in the city police custodial facility in the early morning of April 2.
Benicio, a construction worker and resident of Silver Street, Greenvalley, Barangay San Nicolas, Bacoor was detained on March 22 for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling).
Caparino, 30, reportedly died also at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in the early afternoon of March 30 due to breathing difficulty at the Bacoor police jail.
The PUPC, a resident of San Nicolas III, Bacoor City, was detained on charges of grave threat, direct assault and RA 10586 (an anti-drunk driving law) last March 19. (Anthony Giron)