Student alleges teachers "mauled" him

CEBU, Philippines – A second year Criminology student of the University of Cebu-Main Campus who was earlier detained for allegedly assaulting a college instructor yesterday went to the office of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Cebu City Police Office to deny the latter's accusations and have the "real" story recorded in the police blotter.

Edgardo Martinez, 20, told police that if something happens to him, there's only one person to blame and that is David Mark Maramba, who serves as com-mandant among Criminology interns of the school and happened to be an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Martinez, a native of Misamis Occidental, was released from the Cebu City Jail last August 11 after he was arrested last August 4 for allegedly assaulting Maramba while inside the school.

Still weak from fever, the student appeared before the media yesterday and said he wanted Maramba, if possible, terminated from the PDEA-7 and be held re-sponsible for anything that may threaten his life.

The reporters tried to get the side of Maramba but he was not available as he was allegedly out of town, according to his co-workers at the PDEA-7 office.

He, however, sent text messages to one of the reporters saying he was attending a hearing.

"What assurance imong mahatag nga dili mo biased? Kay mura'g lingaw kaayo mo sige'g duot nako. Inamigo ni nga hangyo kay dugay man kaha ta kuyog simbahan. Ambot ngano na inyong gidaginot," his text message reads.

Martinez narrated that around 4 p.m. last August 4, he was on his way to the comfort room after attending his class when a Criminology intern confronted him and told him to take his earring off. Martinez said he took off his earring and was about to proceed to the CR when the intern demanded for his identification card to which he refused.

The intern, who was largely-built, suddenly choked him and dragged him towards the nearby Criminology intern office. The intern then called up Maramba, who is their commandant.

"Miabot si Maramba 'nya gisumbag ko dayon. Gisumbag sad ko sa intern ug ni Dennis Chiong. Si Maramba iyang gibira ang duha nako ka kamot dayon gi-yatak-yatakan akong ulo. Gi-tunob-tunoban akong likod, hasta akong paa gitamakan," Martinez disclosed.

Martinez said the intern, including Dennis Chiong, also a Criminology instructor, punched him but claimed most of the attacks came from Maramba. Chiong is allegedly the son of Crusade Against Violence chairperson Thelma Chiong and a personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation.

"Ingon pa g'yud siya (Maramba), 'Wa ka kaila nako? Taga-PDEA ko. Commandant ko sa UC 'nya nag-cock-cock pa g'yud siya sa iyang armas. Gusto nako ma-tangtang siya. Dili lalim iyang gibuhat nako. Gipakaulawan ko niya," Martinez added.

Two policemen from the Carbon Police Station then came, handcuffed him and brought him to the police station for detention. He was committed to the city jail on August 7 and was temporarily released four days later.

Martinez said he never did fight back at Maramba, Chiong and even at the intern who took turns in attacking him.

Maramba was also accused of leading a team of PDEA agents who reportedly harassed sharpshooters of the Cebu City Police Office who were partying at a beach resort in Pinamungajan September last year.

PDEA-7 Deputy Regional Director, lawyer Mauro Licen, said he still has to hear the side of Maramba and if the evidence warrants, they will conduct an inves-tigation against him.

"We will look into that in what context he used or if ever he uttered the word PDEA in the course of the incident. That will be part of the investigation. We want to assure the public, the complainants that we will not tolerate such kind of behavior in our organization," Licen said.

Licen said they will forward the case to the agency's Internal Affairs Office then to the national office if proven that there is probable cause on the incident. He said this is the first time they received a complaint lodged against an operative for maltreatment or physical injury. (FREEMAN)