A Filipino man found guilty of violating quarantine rules has died after being sentenced by police to 300 years of criminal practice, his family said.
Darren Manaog Penaredondo was allegedly stopped by officers while buying water in Cavite province after 1800 local time on Thursday.
He collapsed the next day and later died.
The province of Cavite, on the island of Luzon, is currently strictly closed to tackle the spread of Covid.
Marlo Solero, police chief of General Trias City, said there was no physical punishment for those found violating the curfew rules, but only readings from officers. He told local media that if officers enforced the sentence, it would not be tolerated.
A relative of the victim, Adrian Lucena, announced his death on Facebook. He said Mr. Penaredondo and others found to be breaking the evening clock were told to do 100 squat exercises together.
If they did not do it at the same time, he would have to repeat the set, he said. The group eventually did 300 of the exercises.
Mr. Penaredondo came home with pain on Friday morning at 6 a.m., his brother said. His resident partner told Rappler, the local news agency, that he had been struggling to move all Friday.
“That whole day he struggled to walk, he just crawled. But I did not take it seriously because he said it was just a simple body ache,” Reichelyn Balce said.
The next day he collapsed and stopped breathing. Ms Balce asked the neighbors to revive him, but he allegedly died not long after.
Ony Ferrer, mayor of General Trias City, said he had ordered the police chief to investigate thoroughly. He described the alleged punishment as ‘torture’.
Mr Ferrer added that he was in contact with the Penaredondo family.
Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch warned that perpetrators were being abused in the Philippines. The rights group said there were cases where police and local officials restricted people to dog kennels and forced others to sit in the afternoon sun.
President Rodrigo Duterte warned citizens during a televised speech on Thursday not to defy lock-in rules, saying: “I will not hesitate. My orders are to the police and army, as well as village officials, if there are problems, or occasions where there are is violence and your lives are in danger, shoot them dead. ‘