Karen Davila couldn’t help but vent out her thoughts with the reports that another curfew violator had died amid the current COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The veteran broadcast journalist on Monday, April 12, retweeted an article from INQUIRER.net with the headline, “Another curfew violator has died in Calamba, Laguna after he was allegedly beaten up by a team of barangay tanod.”
In her tweet, Davila then questioned the respect and compassion for fellow Filipinos, asking why it had to end up killing a curfew violator.
She claimed that the barangay tanod team should be imprisoned if found guilty of the murder. She added that they should not only be dismissed from their positions but should be held accountable for their actions.
“Ano ba? Nauwi na ba tayo sa ganito? Pinapatay ang mga curfew violator? Wala na ba tayong respeto sa buhay ng tao? Malasakit sa kapwa Pilipino? Kung mapapatunayang nakapatay ang team ng barangay tanod — ipakulong. Hindi lang matanggal sa trabaho, kundi managot sa hustiya,” she wrote.
Ano ba?! Nauwi na ba tayo sa ganito? Pinapatay ang mga curfew violator?!
Wala na ba tayong respeto sa buhay ng tao?! Malasakit sa kapwa Pilipino?
Kung mapapatunayang nakapatay ang team ng barangay tanod – ipakulong. Hindi lang matanggal sa trabaho, kundi managot sa hustisya. https://t.co/Nq2cYc11UO
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) April 11, 2021
In the said article, a curfew violator named Ernanie Lumban Jimenez, in Purok 2, Barangay Turbina, Calamba City, Laguna, was repeatedly beaten up by the barangay’s quick response team after being arrested for violating curfew rules, according to the police report and witnesses.
Activist group Anakbayan Calamba’s facebook post explained that the victim went outside at around 10 pm on April 7 to buy food.
Anakbayan Calamba added that Jimenez peacefully obliged when he was apprehended. However, when Jimenez asked if he could go to the bathroom, the Barangay tanods snapped at him, causing the 26-year-old man to flee in fear.
When caught the second time, the Barangay tanods allegedly beat Jimenez up, leaving him with multiple bruises, wounds, and a fractured skull.
The victim collapsed after sustaining injuries and was rushed to Calamba Medical Center Hospital but died before noon on Friday, April 9.
The incident is already being investigated, according to the Police.
Jimenez’s case was the second recorded death of a curfew violator this April.
On April 1, Darren Manaog Peñaredondo, 28, was apprehended after he was seen buying water past 6 pm, reportedly violating the curfew rules in General Trias, Cavite. At the time, the province was under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), imposing a curfew from 6 pm to 5 am.
In an interview with Rappler, his live-in partner, Reichelyn Balce, said Peñaredondo and another alleged quarantine violator were taken to the Plaza Malabon and forced to do the pumping 100 times.
Balce added that the enforcers also said that if they were not in sync, they would repeat it, alleging the pair were ultimately forced to do 300 rounds of the squat-like exercise.
Peñaredondo returned home on Friday morning, April 2, according to his family, and reportedly had difficulty walking. Balce also said that he complained about the exercise, saying he had trouble completing the repetitions and had fallen several times.
According to his cousin Adrian Lucena’s Facebook post, Peñaredondo started having seizures on Saturday, April 3. He was revived but died later.
On Tuesday, April 6, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya announced that DILG Officer-in-Charge Bernardo Florece Jr. had directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct an investigation.
General Trias Police, whom the victim’s family blamed for the inhuman treatment, has also been tasked by City Mayor Ony Ferrer to “fairly” probe Darren Manaog Peñaredondo’s death.
However, the city’s police chief, Lt. Col. Marlo Nillo Solera, earlier denied the allegations, claiming they only conduct lectures for people who violated COVID restrictions.
