‘Tambay’ mauled to death in QC an Ilonggo

ILOILO City – The “tambay” who died while in the custody of Quezon City Police District’s Station 4 (Novaliches) on June 18 was an Ilonggo.

The 25-year-old Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo was a native of Barangay Bagongon, Concepcion, Iloilo.

According to Barangay Captain Michael Villaruz, Argoncillo left with some siblings for Metro Manila in 2009 to work.

Argoncillo was the third child in a brood of 11.  His father and some siblings remained in Barangay Bagongon, said Villaruz.

“We knew him to be industrious and not a troublemaker. Try asking people in our village and they would say the same thing,” he added.

Argoncillo was picked up by policemen late night on June 15 in Novaliches supposedly for loitering. He died on June 18.

His sister Marilou dismissed the police’s claim that her brother died of difficulty of breathing inside the cramped police station cell. She believed he was mauled.

According to Marilou, her brother was simply hanging around shirtless at a store but not doing anything illegal or creating trouble when he was arrested.

The director of the National Capital Region Police Office, Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, had a different story.

“His detention was not because he was loitering. It was a response to a request for assistance from the police because of alarm and scandal. So cops went there and he was arrested,” said Eleazar.

Marilou said she was able to see her detained brother on June 16. He looked pale and distressed, she said.

She recalled him telling her, “Please help me. We’re being beaten up here.”

On June 18, Marilou said she was informed that her brother was taken to the Novaliches District Hospital. He allegedly had difficulty breathing.

“The police also told me Genesis was unruly and repeatedly banged his head against the wall. I did not believe them. My brother was not mentally-ill and he was not a drug addict,” said Marilou.

The sister said she saw her brother’s body at the hospital morgue and noted bruises on his arms, chest, sides and back.

“Sobrang binaboy nila ang kapatid ko. Mabuti sana kung adik, pero hindi eh,” said Marilou.

Argoncillo’s death certificate stated he had “multiple blunt force trauma on the neck, head, chest, and upper extremities.”

Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel said investigators obtained statements from three inmates at the Novaliches police station.

“There seems to be parang binugbog iyung si Genesis ng suspect as attested by two witnesses,” said Esquivel.

But Marilou believed policemen, not fellow detainees, mauled her brother.

“Sumama ;yan ng ano sa inyo, hindi ‘yan lumaban sa inyo. Tapos ang sabi kasi ng pulis doon nilabas siya ng gabi na ‘yun para ilipat daw sa ibang station,” Marilou said. “Ibig sabihin sila ang bumugbog sa kapatid ko, hindi kapwa preso.”

The police are currently holding two suspects who were fellow detainees of Argoncillo at Station 4.

Witnesses positively identified the two suspects, Justin Mercado and Richard Bautista, alleged members of Sputnik gang, as the persons who conspired with other detainees in beating up Argoncillo inside the detention cell.

The Quezon City Police District said they will file murder charges against the two suspects./PN