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“<br />
Mestiri was then<br />
instructed to go<br />
inside the soldiers’<br />
detachment, where<br />
they tied his hands<br />
and feet with a nylon<br />
cord.<br />
48<br />
”<br />
AhRC dated 6 January 2012, Police Director nicanor Bartolome,<br />
chief of the PnP, rejected Rahman’s allegations of torture.<br />
In justifying the injuries that Rahman had, Police Director<br />
Bartolome said: “Totoh attempted to escape that forced the<br />
arresting officers to chase and subdue him. After which, Totoh<br />
was committed at the Isabela City Jail where he complaint of<br />
chest pain”. he added “his injuries were mostly found in the chest<br />
which could have been inflicted when the arresting officers placed<br />
him in prone position to handcuff him when he resisted arrest.”<br />
P/Director Bartolome further argued that, “Police procedure that<br />
requires a suspect to lie on the ground facing down is a standard<br />
technique applied in performing arrest. hence, it was concluded<br />
that the arresting officers performed their duties with regularity”.<br />
Story 5: “If you do not admit, I will kill you”<br />
Victim: Jedil Esmael Mestiri, 27, presently detained at the<br />
provincial jail in Isabela City<br />
Alleged perpetrators: Members of the 32nd IB- PA, led by a<br />
certain Capt. Guianan<br />
Date of incident: 26 June 2011 at 7pm<br />
Place where he was tortured: Inside Camp 1 of the Military<br />
Battalion in Lamitan City, Basilan.<br />
AHRC-UAC-174-2011; AHRC-UAU-003-2012<br />
Jedil Esmael mestiri belongs to a yakan tribe. mestiri was<br />
resting inside his home in Lamitan City when a certain Ben<br />
(alias), said to be a military intelligence officer, called him. Having<br />
previously served the military as an informant, mestiri was not<br />
suspicious of going out with him on a motorcycle. when they reach<br />
a checkpoint, the soldiers guarding it stopped them. Ben spoke<br />
to the soldiers, and one of them, Captain guianan, performed a<br />
body search on mestiri without giving any reasons. he was then<br />
instructed him to go inside the soldiers’ detachment, where they<br />
tied his hands and feet with a nylon cord, and blindfolded him.<br />
mestiri was later taken to Camp 1 of the military battalion<br />
in Lamitan City, Basilan. here they interrogated him about the<br />
bombing incident in Lamitan City in 2010. They also questioned<br />
him about the kidnapping of an engineer, while they repeatedly<br />
punched his chest. he could sense that there were several persons<br />
punching him. when mestiri asked the military why they were<br />
treating him like this despite him helping them as an informant<br />
in the past, he was only told: “Pag hindi ka umamin papatayin<br />
kita (If you do not admit, I will kill you)”.<br />
They subjected mestiri to repeated interrogation for over<br />
eight hours. On 27 June 2011, he was not given food to eat<br />
for breakfast, only water to drink. At 10am, they took him to a<br />
police station in Lamitan City. It was only at this time that the<br />
soldiers removed his blindfold, and when they reached the police<br />
station, his hands were untied. he was then brought to the court<br />
in Isabela City.<br />
article 2 � June-Sept 2012 Vol. 11, No. 2-3
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