CHR to probe deaths, possible torture of 2 teenagers in Manila

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday said it has deployed a team to investigate the case of two teenage boys in Manila whose lifeless bodies were found bearing signs of torture.

“We stress that all individuals have the right against cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment, which vitiate the free will and dignity of the individual,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement.

“CHR condemns this incident and has deployed a Quick Response Team to investigate and ascertain the facts of the case,” she added.

According to a Saksi report on Monday, the two boys were reported missing in Tondo, Manila. The father of one of the teenagers found his son’s body wrapped in tape and floating near Isla Puting Bato.

The remains of the two boys suggest that they may have been tortured.

A separate report on Unang Balita on Tuesday said a smiley face was carved on the body of one of the victims using an ice pick.

The Unang Balita report also said the two victims were both 15 years old and were last seen alive on January 31, 2021. —Julia Mari Ornedo/KBK, GMA News