House eyes probe on ‘tambay’s’ death
AN investigation into the death of an inmate following his arrest during an “anti-tambay” (anti-loitering) campaign in Quezon City is being pushed at the House of Representatives.
Rep. Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte made the call under House Bill 1968, which he filed late Thursday, citing an “urgent need to investigate the rising number of illegal arrests and questionable detention procedures, similar to the circumstances of the death of Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo.”
At the same time, Belmonte offered his condolences to the family of Argoncillo over his “senseless death.”
Argoncillo, who lives in Quezon City’s sixth district, which Belmonte represents, went out of his house on June 15 to buy prepaid load for his mobile phone at a sari-sari store.
Witnesses claimed that police arrested Argoncillo because he did not have a shirt on in violation of a city ordinance.
Two days after, Argoncillo, 25, died in his detention cell.
Police initially claimed that Argoncillo died because of “shortness of breath,” coming after allegedly running amok inside his cell. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An examination of Argoncillo’s body, however, showed bruises although police said that the victim this time died of suffocation because of congestion.
Two inmates who claimed to have witnessed what happened to Argoncillo told police that two fellow prisoners had beaten Argoncillo to death. LLANESCA T. PANTI
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