Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo today ordered a probe into the alleged torture of a detained suspect by the vice-mayor of Davao city.

Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte reportedly forced a suspect on Tuesday to eat and swallow a fake land title deed he allegedly used to dupe slum dwellers in the city.

"I can understand the outrage against Duterte’s alleged human rights violations but he must also be subjected to the legal
process," Robredo said.

He said no formal complaint against Duterte has been filed yet.

Manolito Gayas was arrested on Monday following complaints by slum dwellers who claimed he sold them the counterfeit documents.

On Tuesday, Duterte visited Gayas in his cell and reportedly forced him to eat the fake documents.

The incident caused a barrage of protests from human rights advocates, including Human Rights Commissioner Etta Rosales and Bishop Leonardo Medroso, head of the Episcopal Commission on Canon Law of the Catholic bishops' conference.

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