For fatal mauling of fuente inmate: 'Tracker' charged for murder

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor's Office found probable cause to charge Pedro Pianar Jr., a member of an anti-crime volunteer group known as Trackers, and the main suspect in the fatal mauling of a robbery suspect inside the Fuente Police Station.

Prosecutor Aurora Peñaflor found enough basis to hold accused for trial based on the evidence presented against Pianar, a resident of Barangay Nangka Consolacion.

"A sudden swift attack akin to treachery, was employed by a heavily-built respondent, giving the victim no opportunity to defend himself, the cause of death of the same is reported as blunt traumatic injuries to the trunk as reported in the medico legal report," the resolution reads.

Peñaflor recommended no bail for the murder case against Pianar.

In the complaint filed by Ane Heruela Tejano, she said she was the eldest sister of the victim, Joven also known as Ongkoy, who was mentally ill.

She said the victim was an errand boy and sells junk materials to earn a living.

On July 7, 2011 at 1:00 p.m., she said her brother left their house and failed to return at dawn the following day prompting them to look for him.

However, at around 7:00 a.m., they learned that her brother died inside the Fuente Police Station and that he was earlier arrested for robbery. Trackers are composed of civilian anti-crime volunteers based at the Fuente Police Station and founded by then Fuente Police Chief Inspector Michael Bastes who was also relieved for the said incident.

In an affidavit executed by Edward Pamplona, 34, a resident of Queenly Homes Subdivision, Tabok 2, Mandaue City and a member of the Trackers, he revealed that on July 7, 2011, he said he was told by Bastes to go to Sitio Sapda, Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City to pick up a suspected thief who was arrested by another tracker, Rafael Enriquez.

He followed Bastes' instructions and turned over the suspect to the Fuente Police Station.

Pamplona added that when they brought the victim to the Trackers office inside the said station for interrogation, Pianar reportedly asked the victim, Tejano, if he was the same person who stole something from a store as captured by a CCTV Camera.

The victim reportedly denied the allegations.

"Right there and then, Peter, who is heavily built, standing about 5'10", a Taekwondo expert, former military man and wearing combat boots, suddenly kicked Ongkoy (Tejano) on the rib area, causing the latter to fall from the stool he was sitting," Pamplona's affidavit reads.

Pamplona said when the accused continued to kick the victim, they tried to stop him but failed. When the accused stopped, they then brought the victim to the detention cell.

However, almost an hour after, he said they discovered that the victim was unconscious inside the cell. When they brought the victim to the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival due to multiple injuries on the different parts of his body. — Mylen P. Manto/MIT (THE FREEMAN)