REPORT ON INVESTIGATED KILLINGS
IN RELATION TO THE ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUG CAMPAIGN
In one representative case,71 according to the police, they conducted a buy-bust
operation at the house of the original targets, where the victim and his partner were
temporarily staying. The police claimed that one of the targets went up to the second
floor of the house to escape after a botched sale. In one room, a police officer saw the
victim aiming his firearm at him. Shocked at his discovery, the police officer shot the
victim killing the latter instantaneously. The original targets were then able to escape.
However, witnesses claimed that the police barged into their house around 3 a.m. and
were looking for a certain “Boy-boy.” Upon failing to locate him, they ordered the victim’s
mother and partner to go outside the house, leaving behind the 17-year-old victim. The
witnesses then heard at least three gunshots coming from inside the house. They later
found out that the victim was killed by the police operatives.
ILLUSTRATIVE CASES
CHR XII 2018-0244
This case pertains to an alleged implementation of search warrants against the victim for
violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation
Act) and RA No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002). The incident took place in the
house of the victim on the early morning of 08 June 2018, in Sarangani.
According to the police, the team leader properly knocked on the door of the victim’s house.
When the victim’s wife opened the door the team leader told her that they have search warrants
against her husband. However, the operatives saw a man holding a firearm running inside the
house going towards one of the rooms. Then one of the operatives was heard shouting “MAY
BARIL! MAY BARIL!” (He has a gun!). The team leader immediately told one of his colleagues to
bring the victim’s wife outside the house for safety. Thereafter, the operating team rushed inside
the house of the victim to subdue him. But despite the effort of the operatives to convince the
victim to surrender, he fired in their direction almost hitting one of the operatives. The operatives
defended themselves which resulted in a short firefight. As a result, the victim sustained gunshot
wounds, brought to a hospital, and later declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
However, the victim’s wife belied the police’s allegations. According to her, the victim together
with her and their son were sleeping soundly inside their room when they heard a loud bang. They
went outside their room to check where the noise was coming from. Then they heard a person
from the outside identifying themselves as officers from the CIDG. When they hurriedly open the
door, more or less three persons in “military” uniform with black ski masks/bonnet were pointing
their long firearms toward them. The men were shouting that they were from CIDG and that the
victim and his family have to get out of the house. The victim and his wife stepped back with their
hands raised. However, the victim was left inside the house. When the wife was near the gate, one
of the operatives handed her son to her. Subsequently, the wife heard bursts of gunshots while
the operatives were shouting that somebody has a gun. The wife shouted that they have no gun.
A few minutes later, the wife saw the police operatives carrying the victim using a bedsheet and
brought him to a hospital. The wife later learned that the victim died.
The wife also claimed that the shabu seized is planted due to the fact that the victim in his
entire life was never involved in any illegal drug activities.
71
CHR NCR 2017-0010.
20