Minor reportedly beaten, kicked by Navotas maritime police

A 15-year-old boy ended up with bruises on his head and other body parts after allegedly being beaten up by members of the maritime police in Navotas.

In a report by Marisol Abdurahman on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, Navotas Police said the victim's mother reported that her child was struck, kicked, and hit with a heavy blunt object by members of the Navotas Maritime Police last Friday, August 25.

“Hinuli ‘yung victim dahil may nawawalang cellphone daw. May humataw sa kanya sa likuran, at the same time, may sumipa rin. ‘Yun ang pagkakasalaysay sa kaniyang statement,” Navotas Police chief Colonel Mario Cortes said.

“Matigas na bagay daw, blunt. Kung baseball bat, kasama rin ho ‘yun sa isang titignan namin na imbestigation,” he added.

(The victim was apprehended because there was a cellphone reported stolen. He was struck in the back and at the same time kicked. That was what was indicated in the statement… It was a hard object, blunt. If it was a baseball bat, that will also be looked at in the investigation.)

The victim was brought to a nearby hospital, and was accompanied by the Navotas Police to the Maritime Police to identify the perpetrators, but the victim said none of them were present during the visit.

Following the statement, the mother then said she would no longer be filing a case. GMA Integrated News has reached out to the family for comment on the matter, but they declined.

“Hindi niya na daw itutuloy kaya ‘yun ho ang isang kinadidismaya din ng ating mga imbestigador dito. Apparently, may kumausap yata sa kanya from some sort of namagitan, ‘yun ho ‘yung minsan ang tinatawag namin na ano eh, nagkaaregluhan or ayusan sila,” Cortes said.

(She said she will no longer continue [with the case] and that is one of the reasons the investigators are disappointed. Apparently someone may have spoken to her and mediated, they may have made an arrangement.)

The Navotas Police said they will continue with the investigation. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News