Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 22) — Philippine National Police chief PGen Guillermo Eleazar on Saturday said he has ordered the Quezon City police to form a special investigation task group that will handle the case of slain transgender man Ebeng Mayor.
Mayor’s body was found in Quezon City after being missing for three days, the PNP said in a statement. Medical tests and autopsy have been conducted on the body amid allegations of sexual abuse, and authorities are awaiting results.
The PNP said initial indications suggest Mayor was “brutally murdered” by at least two suspects.
Eleazar appealed to the public to let the police know if they have any leads to help bring those responsible for Mayor’s death to justice.
The PNP chief also vowed to personally monitor developments in Mayor’s case and update the victim’s family should there be progress.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights on Saturday said it will conduct an independent investigation and “work closely with the authorities in pursuing justice for Ebeng and their family.”
The CHR also condemned “all forms of gender-based violence directed towards transgender and gender non-conforming people” as it underscored the need to urgently pass anti-discrimination bills, including the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill.
RELATED: 11 articles to understand why the SOGIE bill is important
A number of LGBTQ+ groups and netizens are seeking justice for Mayor. As of Saturday, #JusticeForEbengMayor is trending on Twitter.
Bahaghari and Transman Equality and Awareness Movement – Philippines earlier called for an investigation into what they said was a “hate crime” committed against the transgender man.
