By Jennifer P. Rendon
What brutality?
Police officers accused of manhandling a call center agent vehemently denied the charges hurled at them.
While they don’t expect to be patted on the back, they were surprised after getting lambasted.
Police Major Marlon Valencia, Mandurriao police chief, already asked police officers who assisted Mike Kristian Mendrez Berja of what transpired early morning of Feb. 26, 2020.
The cop allegedly passed by Barangay Taft North, Mandurriao district and saw Berja whom they described as drunk.
A member of the Mandurriao Police Station, together with two personnel from the Iloilo City Police Office’s Motorcycle Patrol Unit, offered to bring him home but Berja declined.
The three policemen slowly drove on.
“But meters from leaving Berja, they didn’t see him anymore,” Valencia said.
The policemen turned back and saw the call center agent writhing in pain in a ditch more than a meter deep.
The three policemen, along with several motorcycle cops, assisted to pull him out of the gutter.
Police initially planned to take him to the nearby Western Visayas Medical Center. But the Iloilo City Emergency Responders (ICER) said that he might not be immediately assisted there without any relative or guardian.
He was then brought to the Mandurriao Police Station where he was given first aid by the ICER team.
When his wounds were examined, the ICER team decided that he must be taken to the hospital.
Valencia said personnel then scrolled his Facebook profile until they contacted someone who appeared to be a teacher.
She then asked them to bring Berja to West Visayas State University Medical Center in Jaro, Iloilo City.
Valencia said policemen had a hard time getting Berja’s personal information.
At some point, when policemen asked his name, Berja allegedly retorted, “Mangkuta n’yo ko. Mangkuta n’yo ko liwat.”
“Nagasinuplado s’ya kung ginapamangkot. But our policemen thought that he was just too drunk to know what he’s doing,” Valencia said.
The incident was not indicated on the station blotter since police believed that it was purely an accident when he slipped into the unfinished drainage canal.
At the WVSUMC, Berja allegedly became unruly but policemen still guarded him.
While acting unruly, he was quoted to have said that he graduated from UP or the University of the Philippines.
His attending physician even answered back, “Indi ko pag-underestimate kay sa UP man ko nag-graduate.”
This allegedly left Berja speechless.
FACEBOOK POST
Things settled down when Berja was treated at the hospital.
But on the evening of Feb. 26, he allegedly put on blotter that his wounds were due to manhandling. It was followed by a Facebook post by a cousin of Berja.
Part of the actual post read: “So earlier this morning, around 4 AM, some local news reported that my cousin was found around the area of Taft North, Iloilo in a drainage saying that he fell through it because he was drunk af and he didn’t manage to see the said drainage.”
But she claimed that in truth, her cousin was physically assaulted by policemen. She also claimed that Berja violated the ordinance that prohibits smoking in public places.
After which, policemen allegedly punched him on the stomach, kicked him, and dropped him in the ditch.
“You should’ve just stated the truth instead of spreading some shitty lies, shameful ‘alagad ng batas’. Is it just because may issue kamu sa mga taga UP?” she said.
She ended her post by saying that, “let us all witness how fucked up the justice system works here.”
Her post, as of this writing, garnered 3.2K shares and 2.6K reactions.
Apparently, the cousin based her facts on Berja’s version of the incident.
WITNESSES
Following Berja’s cousin’s claims, Pio Solen, the owner of a store near the drainage where Berja was found, had a different recollection of what happened.
Pio said he was awakened by a single loud thud. He then saw Berja who was visibly in pain.
“Nanaog ang mga pulis para pasakaon sya kay naga-uy-oy sya sa ka sakit,” he said.
Solen said there was no mauling incident at all.
When asked if Berja was drunk, “daw hubog-hubog gid sya. Ginbuligan pa sya sang mga pulis para mapasaka.”
Facebook user Erna Decastillo also responded to Berja’s cousin.
Decastillo claimed she was the one contacted by police and told them to bring Berja, whom she referred to as Mike, to the hospital.
“Ako ang ara kahapon sa ospital and nag request na tahion na ang pilas nya. I saw Mike long before nakita sya sang pamilya and friends. Check facts please. Kabudlay mag alegar. First hand info nakuha ko,” she said.
Decastillo added that she asked Berja if he wanted to talk to his mom but he refused,
“Hindi sya gusto kay wala man daw pulos na maistorya sya. Ako ang gapanawag kahapon sa nanay. Sorry, budlay gid mag alegar na hindi first hand info ang nakuha ta. Mas okay guro if maistorya nyo ang mga nurses and doctors.”
But Berja’s cousin refused to budge. She said Berja has no reason to lie or make up stories.
Decastillo also kept her ground.
“Kabalo ko na 7 stitches ang tahi kay ako ang gaistorya sa doctor and ako ang gasaway kay Mike kahapon kada waras nya kag pamuyayaw. Ang isa ka picture na gin upload nyo halin na sa akon. Nakaistorya kami sang nanay kahapon . I hope makapasaka gid kamo kaso if matuod na gin kastigo sya kay kalaw ay na nag akusar na kita wala pa sang facts and ang mga alegasyon halin na sa nanay. Tani, wala dagdag-bawas sang na transmit ang info from Mike to nanay and sa imo. I just hope we can give justice sa kung sino man gid ang na agrabyado,” she said.
Decastillo added that she’s not taking sides except for the truth.
