Binalbagan Mayor Emmanuel Aranda yesterday shrugged off allegations he had told the mother of an inmate who died in the town jail Saturday morning due to alleged physical abuse by two policemen and tanods not to report the incident to the media, and agree instead to the settlement of the case.

The mother of detainee Neil Albinio, 25, of Anhawan, Dueñas, Iloilo province, who died due to alleged manhandling by PO3s Richard Jaylo and Joey Resuma of the Binalbagan PNP, claimed that Aranda had urged her not to blow up the case with the media, as the municipal government will just take care of everything, Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod reported yesterday.

But Aranda, who confirmed having talked with Marife Albinio, the mother, said he was surprised at her pronouncements and pointed out she could have just misinterpreted his extending of help to her son.

Aranda clarified that what he did was just to help the victim's family and it should not be misconstrued as meddling or trying to settle what had happened.

Reports over Aksyon Radyo further indicated that Neil, who was arrested for theft on March 12, was brought out of jail by the two policemen and was made to shout that he was a thief. He was also subjected to various forms of physical abuse by the two policemen, radio reports further said.

But Aranda said he will leave it up to the policemen to answer for their alleged involvement in the victim's death.

He said that from what he learned from the mother, Neil had been suffering from lingering cancer.

Aranda also disclosed that the policemen, tanods and some residents indeed beat up the victim using "reasonable force" in Brgy. San Vicente, Binalbagan. He's just a visitor to our place, and since the time he arrived, the residents said that theft incidents increased, the mayor added.

The victim was visiting in Binalbagan his bother, Nathaniel, former driver of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Bago City, Negros Occidental.

Reports disclosed that the family of the victim will file a complaint against the two policemen before the Commission on Human Rights Office in Negros Occidental and will request for an autopsy of the body in Iloilo.

A check by the DAILY STAR with CHR officer-in-charge Romeo Valdevarona yesterday, however, revealed that no complaint on the case has been filed yet.*GCT

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