Indie actor jailed for ‘brutal’ mauling of man in San Mateo supermarket

An indie actor was arrested after mauling a man inside a supermarket in San Mateo, Rizal on Wednesday night.

The San Mateo Police identified the suspect as Eugene Kiro Tejada. His victim, Frenil Bautista, has died after slipping into a coma due to injuries from the mauling incident.

Bautista, 44, was an administrative supervisor at the Beta Equipment Sales Corp. and resident of Batasan Hills in Quezon City.

Police said Tejada mauled Bautista after accidentally leaning on his live-in partner, Mary Jana Malilin, while inside the supermarket.

The suspect allegedly mauled Bautista inside the supermarket's comfort room. Police said Tejada could have bashed Bautista's head during the incident based on the victim's injuries.

The San Mateo Police said that Bautista was initially charged by Malilin for alleged acts of lasciviousness.

However, Senior Police Officer 1 Wilmer Privado of the San Mateo Police said that Bautista could not have made sexual advances on Malilin.

Privado said in a 24 Oras report that based on Bautista's medical records, he was a diabetic and hypertensive. He said the victim could have gotten dizzy and accidentally leaned on Malilin.

"Sa tingin namin, hindi ginawa ni Mr. Frenil na sadyain kasi during that time, nagha-hypertension na siya. May diabetes na siya. Nahihilo na siya, which is clinically, sa mga medical records niya, totoo naman," the policeman said.

He added that when Bautista was brought to the police station, he was already covered in blood and could not even pronounce his own name.

"During the confrontation kay Mr. Frenil, napansin ko, parang 'di na normal...Hindi na siya makapagsulat," Privado said.

From the police station, Bautista was brought to the Marikina Valley Medical Center and slipped into a coma.

Decent, kind-hearted person

The victim's family said Bautista died on Friday, two days after the mauling incident, after a brain surgery at the hospital.

“My uncle suffered too much. While being questioned in the precinct, my uncle could not even muster a word. By the time that he got into the hospital, he was already in too much pain,” said Lorenz Christoffer Marasigan, a nephew of the victim.

He said that doctors had described "the brutality" of Tejada. "Durog-durog ang bungo ng pasyente,” said the nephew, quoting the doctors.

The relatives of the victim said Bautista was a "decent man, a very soft-spoken and kind-hearted person."

“Na-misinterpret niya siguro na hinipuan siya,” said Fernan Marasigan, the victim’s brother-in-law, referring to Malilin's accusation.

“I swear on my father’s grave. Hinding hindi nya magagawa ang mangbastos ng babae. Binata pa lang 'yan kilala ko na 'yan. Sobrang bait. Sobrang tahimik at disenteng tao. Hindi ko pa nakitang nagalit 'yan o nagmura o sumimangot,” he added. —report from Dano Tingcungco/Margaret Claire Layug/ALG, GMA News