Man dies of strangulation under Pasay police custody

MANILA, Philippines — A 29-year-old man suffering from mental illness and arrested for causing a scene inside a convenience store in Pasay died after he was strangled while in police custody.

The victim, Jhon Paul Magat, was apprehended in a convenience store in Barangay 75 at 8:05 p.m. on Aug. 5 for allegedly destroying some of the store’s property, documents obtained by The STAR showed.

Police officers assigned with the district mobile force battalion of the Southern Police District who were on patrol operations in the area responded and apprehended Magat.

They turned over the victim to Pasay Police Substation 5 in Baclaran as they had to return to patrol operations.

Magat was in the substation for about an hour when he complained he was having difficulty breathing, which prompted police officers to rush him to the Pasay City General Hospital for treatment.

However, he was pronounced dead by the attending doctor at 9:40 p.m.

A medico-legal report showed Magat did not die from natural causes, but from asphyxia by manual strangulation.

An investigation is ongoing to determine who is responsible for his death.