The chief of police of General Trias City, Cavite and two of his men were relieved from their posts for allegedly imposing excessive physical exercise as punishment for curfew violators that reportedly led to the death of a local resident last week.
Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the relief of Lt. Col. Marlo Solero came after they found out that two of the curfew violators who were accosted together with Darren Peñaredondo executed affidavits that they were indeed forced to do a pumping exercise.
On Tuesday, April 6, the PNP issued a statement that it is standing by the denial of Solero that Peñaredondo was not subjected to a pumping exercise or knee bending when he was turned over by the barangay officials who earlier accosted him for violating the curfew.
“The Chief of Police (of General Trias), who made a statement of denial earlier, and the two cops (who forced the violators to the pumping exercise) are now placed under the direct supervision and control of the Provincial Director of Cavite,” said Usana.
Usana said that it was the Provincial Director of Cavite, Col. Marlon Santos, who relieved Solero after personally going to General Trias, Cavite and later confirming that the violators were indeed subjected to excessive exercise.
The case of Peñaredondo went viral after his relatives posted his ordeal on Facebook. The victim was accosted on April 1 while buying bottled water and was released the following day. He could no longer stand up and walk when he went home. He died on April 4.
Reportedly, Peñaredondo had a heart problem which worsened when he was made to do at least 100 pumping exercises. Based on autopsy, he died of stroke.
“Administrative and criminal cases are now being handled by the Cavite Provincial Police,” said Usana.
The PNP spokesman said that while physical exercise is not bad, excessive physical exercise is harmful especially for people with medical history.
The Department of Justice has already recommended that quarantine violators should not be subjected to any form of punishment. Instead, it recommended that the accosted violators should just be subjected to community service.
