Watery grave

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, a 16-year-old polio victim decided to face the latter, which unfortunately led to his death.

Florencio de la Cruz jumped into the Marikina River to escape a group of armed men who were chasing him and his friends Monday afternoon in Marikina City.

De la Cruz, who did know how to swim, drowned. One of his alleged attackers, Edison Reyes, was later arrested.

Police said De la Cruz, of 233 J. P. Rizal Street, Barangay San Roque, was talking to his friends Carlo Ignacio, Eugene de Guzman and Arman Dulay at Butiki Park on Mendoza Street, when a rival group led by Reyes arrived at about 2:30 p.m.

Upon seeing Reyes and his companions, who were armed with knives and rocks, De la Cruz’s group scampered to safety, investigator PO2 Felix Aguila said.

However, Reyes and his group easily caught up with De la Cruz because of his disability.

De la Cruz ran toward the Marikina River to evade his pursuers and jumped into the murky waters where he drowned.

Responding policemen and his neighbors fished his body out of the river an hour later.

Reyes was arrested after witnesses pointed to him as one of the suspects who chased de la Cruz and his companions.

He denied the charges against him.

Police filed homicide charges yesterday against Reyes at the Marikina City prosecutor’s office. The suspect is currently detained at the Marikina City police detention center.