REPORT ON INVESTIGATED KILLINGS IN RELATION TO THE ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUG CAMPAIGN CHR NCR 2016-0563 During an alleged buy-bust in Valenzuela City, police claimed that the victim sensed that he was transacting with a police officer. The victim retreated and pulled out a revolver from his shoulder bag. He pointed the revolver at the poseur-buyer and simultaneously squeezed the trigger but the firearm failed to discharge. The poseur-buyer shouted to his companions “MAY BARIL! MAY BARIL! NAMUMUTOK!” (He has a gun! He has a gun! He’s shooting!). This alleged hostile act provoked the police operatives to return fire to defend themselves. However, two witnesses offered a contrary narration. The victim was walking along the road with two unidentified companions when a tinted black vehicle suddenly stopped in front of them. Police officers alighted from the black vehicle. The victim’s two companions immediately ran away leaving the victim behind. One witness stated that the victim raised his hands and pleaded mercy uttering the words “Suko na ako sir (I surrender, Sir).” However, the police ignored his plea and shot him. Even though wounded and in the kneeling position, the victim still begged for mercy saying “Tama na Sir, masakit na” (Stop it Sir, it already hurts), but they still ignored his plea and killed him. The other witness stated that the police immediately shot and killed the victim while the latter was kneeling, raising his hands, and begging for his life. CHR VIII 2016-0338 This case refers to an alleged buy-bust operation conducted on 09 September 2016 at around 6:30 in the evening in Reclamation Area, Tacloban City, Leyte—leaving one arrested, two wounded, and one dead. According to the police poseur buyer, he handed the marked money to Victim C and in return, Victim B handed the small sachet of suspected shabu. The poseur buyer was doing the prearranged signal of complete transaction when he saw a man aimed and fired a gun at him. Fortunately, the poseur buyer dodged the bullet, and the arresting officer managed to fire back at said man. The police officers allegedly later knew the man was Victim D. Exchange of gunfire subsequently ensued, wounding the right leg of Victim B and left abdomen of Victim C. Thereafter, the arresting officer allegedly frisked whom he later identified as Victim A. According to the police, Victim A was "lying with his face on the ground [while being checked] for concealed deadly weapon from [sic] his body." Victim A was subsequently arrested. However, survivor-victim C debunked the police’s account. According to him, at around 4 p.m. of the same date, while inside their house in the said location, he and Victim D heard loud voices of male persons outside, saying, “walang kikilos!” (Nobody moves!) followed by successive gun bursts. They were critically hit in different parts of their bodies—with Victim C shot in his left abdomen and Victim D dead from 14 gunshot wounds all over his body. This was corroborated by Victim B’s cousin living in the same neighborhood. According to the cousin, she and Victim B heard a commotion followed by a gun burst, where some bullets hit near them. This prompted them to go outside. A man then poked his firearm at them and told them not to run. She was shocked that, even though Victim B’s hands were already raised, the armed man still shot Victim B on his right leg. She immediately went to their aunt’s house beside theirs. When she and her aunt returned to check on Victim B, the armed man had ordered him to take off his t-shirt and scour his pockets but found nothing. Victim B’s cousin added that Victim A was a friend of Victim C; she saw some policemen confiscating alleged drugs from Victim A on the same day of the incident. 21