By RALPH JOHN MIJARES
ROXAS City — The Filamer Christian University (FCU) student, who was allegedly mauled to death by four university security guards, died of cardiac arrest, police said.
Citing the autopsy report of medico-legal officer, Chief Insp. Joe Martin Fuentes, police city director Supt. Julio Gustilo Jr. said this could be due to Toni Russel Casipe’s “aggressiveness during the scuffle.”
Casipe had a scuffle with security guard Rojien Borbon when the latter prevented him from entering FCU’s annex campus here on Sunday evening.
The 28-year-old victim, who was taking up electronics engineering, also had “traumatic injuries” in the head and hematoma in the different parts of his body, Gustilo said.
Gustilo refused to give the media a copy of the autopsy report, saying it must be submitted to the court first.
Radyo Budyong, however, quoted the finding of the medico-legal officer: Casipe had a “heart failure secondary to cardiomyopathy, with multiple traumatic injuries in the head and extremities.”
Casipe’s family reportedly wanted to keep the autopsy report confidential.
Casipe was found along a driveway near a basketball court at FCU’s annex campus in the evening of June 22. His legs were tied using a nylon cord.
The area is reportedly surrounded by boardinghouses, and anything happening there would immediately be seen by residents/tenants.
Police said Borbon fired three warning shots during his scuffle with Casipe. But residents in the area denied hearing any gunshot, radio reports said.
Suspects Borbon and fellow security guards Wilbert Opeñano, Hubert Villaluz and Henry Brillo — all employees of Goldeneye Security — were detained in the city police station.
Gustilo earlier said the police will file homicide charges against them.
On Wednesday, Casipe’s mother, Erlinda, filed murder charges against the suspects.
A clarificatory hearing on the case will be held on July 7./PN
