CHARGES of physical injuries have been filed against three men who mauled the son and nephew of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in Boracay Island before dawn last Saturday.
Lt. Col. Mar Joseph Ravelo, chief of the Malay police station in Aklan, said the three fled after the attack but were arrested in a hot pursuit operation.
Ravelo did not identify the suspects but said they had been charged yesterday morning.
“It’s unfortunate that my son Julian and his cousin Jefferelly Vitug had their vacation in Boracay marred by an act of violence. Early Saturday, they were assaulted by three young men,” Estrada said in a Viber message to the media.
Estrada did not give details of the incident, but Radyo Todo Aklan 88.5 FM, a local media outlet, reported that the attack happened around 2 a.m. at Station 2 of the island resort.
Reports said Julian and his cousin were walking back to their hotel after coming from a bar when they were tailed by three men who then attacked them in front of another hotel in Barangay Balabag.
The suspects allegedly told the victims, “Kanina pa kayo maangas sa bar (you were arrogant in the bar)” before they were assaulted.
Estrada said he immediately flew to Boracay to personally see his son’s and nephew’s conditions.
“My family and I are grateful that our loved ones are safe now, but we hope incidents like this serve as a reminder of the need to create a safer environment for everyone,” he said.
“While charges have been filed against the suspects, I trust that proper authorities will investigate this case thoroughly and ensure that justice is served,” he added.
Before the incident, Ravelo said the suspects and the victims exchanged dagger stares inside the bar based on closed-circuit television footage.
“There was no shouting, no confrontation (inside the bar),” said Ravelo.
“They (victims) were followed outside the bar where they were mauled,” added Ravelo.
He said witnesses called for police assistance, prompting the suspects to flee.
“During hot pursuit, we arrested the three suspects. They are currently detained at the Malay police station and we filed charges against them this morning,” said Ravelo, adding the victims are back in Manila.
“They are at a hospital in Manila. I believe they are undergoing medical treatment,” said Ravelo.
Ravelo said the Estrada family is bent on pursuing the case against the suspects.
“They are going to pursue it (case), that’s the decision of the family,” said Ravelo.
