SAN LEONARDO, Nueva Ecija – Some relatives and friends of Salvador Mariano, the 34-year-old jobless man who died after being arrested for supposed violation of quarantine protocols, doubted police report that he succumbed to heart attack.
“Hindi po sakit ang ikinamatay niya. Wala po siyang sakit,” said a neighbor who looked up to as a big brother.
A cousin of the fatality said the family was very devastated and are still in disbelief of what happened to Mariano. He said the family was told that Mariano might have been beaten by other detainees at the municipal police’s detention facility.
In a report to the provincial headquarters in Cabanatuan City, police said a duty investigator was bringing Mariano to the Gapan District Hospital for the standard medical examination when he allegedly “suddenly collapsed.”
This prompted the lawmen to rush him instead to Gonzales General Hospital here where he was declared dead on arrival “with initial findings of cardiac arrest.”
Police records showed Mariano, a resident of Barangay Rizal here, was arrested by patrolling policemen in Barangay Mambangnan after he was “spotted and cautioned” for not wearing face mask but “responded arrogantly.”
The suspect was under the influence of liquor, according to the police report.
An autopsy has yet to be conducted, according to a relative.
Some residents turned to social media in crying for justice though.
“Inatake nga po yan…inatake ng mga walang kaluluwang tao,” said one while others believed Mariano was tortured.
Police had said a continuing and in-depth investigation is being conducted on the incident.
