PNP chief backs men against death of ‘tambay’
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde on Thursday blamed overcongestion in the death of an inmate at a Quezon City police station last Tuesday.
In a press conference in Camp Bagong Diwa, Albayalde affirmed the official statement of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) that Genesis Argoncillo died because of “shortness of breath” and not because he was mauled inside the facility of Novaliches Police Station 4.
He denied reports claiming that Argoncillo sustained multiple external wounds.
“That is a false allegation…No less than the attending physician has said that he did not see any wounds. His death is caused by loss of breath because the cell is really congested, which we had experienced before,” Albayalde said in Filipino.
He also allayed reports that Argoncillo was arrested based on a city ordinance on “tambays” (loiterers).
Albayalde said that he was arrested for alarm and scandal on June 15.
Expanding detention facilities is not as easy as it seems because there are real estate problems that will be encountered, he said.
Deputy Director General Archie Francisco Gamboa, PNP chief directorial staff, said that in expanding detention facilities, it would mean that the whole police station would also have to be extended.
Gamboa said this was problematic because the PNP does not own the land where these stations are built.
“The problem primarily is real estate or land…Usually, when we build polie stations, [it is built on]lots that were donated by local government units,” he said.
Albayalde appealed to the Commission on Human Rights to convince local chief executives to prioritize expansion of detention facilities.
“That is precisely what we want the CHR to do…Probably, they can help by convincing different local chief executives to make expansion of detention facilities as one of their priority programs,” he said.
Four inmates reportedly died from shortness of breath at the QCPD facility from May to June. ROY NARRA
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