Fuente police chief relieved over prisoner's "mysterious" death

CEBU, Philippines - A detainee died in mysterious circumstances inside the Fuente Police Station yesterday, prompting Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Ramon Melvin Buenafe to relieve Fuente Police Chief Senior Inspector Michael Bastes and three others. 

Joven Tejano, 32, of Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Calamba Cebu City was found dead inside the female detention cell where he was placed alone. He was a homosexual and had feminine looks so he was not mixed with the male prisoners.

Tejano had contusions on various parts of his body especially on his stomach and chest area.

PO3 Achilles Sanchez discovered Tejano’s lifeless body on the detention cell’s floor at around 12:30 a.m.

Earlier that night, inmates from the adjacent male detention cell heard a loud thud, as if someone fell hard on the pavement.

Tejana was arrested last Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City by Rafael Enriquez, one of the civilian volunteers the police call as “police trackers.”

Tejana was suspect in a burglary that happened last Sunday near the Abellana National High School. According to the police, he was positively identified because the crime was caught on a security camera.

Enriquez told The FREEMAN he did nothing which might have led to Tejano’s death. He said he simply apprehended Tejano and turned him over to the responding team from the Fuente Police Station.

PO2 Eduardo Acop and PO1 Rey Pabroa, who received and brought Tejano to the Fuente Police Station, did not notice anything wrong with Tejana.

Shocked at what he saw, Sanchez immediately sought help from jailer PO2 Allan Vallejo, who rushed Tejano to the Cebu City Medical Center where he was declared dead.

A check with the Fuente Police yesterday showed that the station no longer had the blotter where details of the incident might have been recorded. The blotter was already forwarded to the CCPO, said Bastes.

But a check with the blotter of the Homicide Section shows Tejana sustained several contusions on his body, which was “believed to be the cause” of his death.

Bastes, Acop, Pabroa and Vallejo were relieved yesterday as Buenafe ordered a thorough investigation. Bastes will report to Buenafe’s office until the investigation is completed.

Sr. Insp. Stanley Sabay is now the officer-in-charge of the Fuente Police.

So far, none of the policemen concerned could give answers on why Tejano died.

Meanwhile, the adopted children of Fuente Police Station asked for their “papa” Bastes to stay.

Thirteen street children were adopted by the Fuente Police few months ago to keep them off the street and away from crimes, which are rampant in the area.

“Di mi mosugot nga pahawa-on si sir, siya ang nagpa eskwela ug nagpakaon namo,” cried one child.

The children asked the CCPO director not to remove their “papa” who has been their confidant for the past months.

But Bastes could only say “Natural ran na kay police ta, wala na tay mahimo kay labaw man sila.” He asked his adopted children to continue with their studies and to not go back to their old ways. (FREEMAN)