Man with disability dies after alleged torture by councilor, civilian

A man with mental disability died after he was reportedly tortured by a councilor and a civilian at Coron, Palawan.

In Emil Sumangil's "24 Oras" report, 23-year-old Carlo Layaog was accused of stealing cable wires at Barangay 3 in Coron.

In a video shared by the police, Layaog was helplessly sitting near a pole while suspects grilled him over his supposed crime. The suspects even cursed at him, accusing him of stealing the cables.

The video showed the suspects pointing a flashlight at the victim, who was forced to send a message to robbers. Layaog said: "Sa mga kapwa ko magnanakaw, wag na kayo magnakaw, kung gusto niyo magnakaw magtago-tago po kayo. (To my fellow thieves, don't steal, if you want to, hide yourselves.)"

Another video, which was sourced from a witness, showed a man wearing black shirt trying to used a handsaw to torture the victim.

After being battered, Layaog was turned over to the police station. But Police Captain Ervin Plando, chief of police in Coron, noticed that the victim was already weak. This prompted them to bring Layaog to the hospital.

But, a day later, the victim died due to traumatic injuries.

Layaog's relative, April, lamented that he should have been brought straight to the police station and not to barangay officials.

Plando said they already filed anti-torture case against barangay kagawad Paul John Abe and another civilian after results from medico-legal report and death certificate "corroborated" with the statements of witnesses in the alleged torture of Layaog.

Abe, meanwhile, refused to give comments, saying he will leave it up to his lawyers to answer the allegations. His accomplice has yet to give a response.

The victim's lawyer, Attorney Lourdes Benipayo, condemned the alleged torture against her client, adding that the victim's family will file a murder case against the suspects.

"They did not see him take the cables. 'Yang victim known around the area as somebody na may kapansanan sa mind, (He has a mental disability) so he's a little slow," she said.

"Sa dinadami nila pinagtulungan nila isang helpless na tao (They took advantage of a helpless person.)," the lawyer also said.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News