Slaughter of Innocents

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AT GLANCE: From February 4 to May 17 of this year, another seven persons were reported to have been murdered, two other survives attempt on their lives, including a boy, in separate incidents in Davao City. Though the police concludes most the victims have had criminal records, are involved in sex trade, members of gangs; however, there were others who either had no records or not involved in any illegal activities at all. Despite this, the police investigators nevertheless conclude these deaths were part of the continuing murders on the pretext of “vigilante killings“.

Case No. 1: Shot dead for stabbing a man previously

Victim: Herodel Velez Jr., 24, resident of Bayside, Tibungco, Davao City
Wounded: Victoriano Velez Jr., 52, residents of Bayside, Tibungco, Davao City
Date: 17 May at 9:30pm

On May 17, a balut vendor named Herodel Velez Jr., 24, was shot to death by an unidentified gunman in Tibungco, Davao City. His uncle, Victoriano, 52, also a balut vendor, was likewise hit with a bullet but has survived after he was rushed to a hospital by concerned citizens.

Investigators said the victims were just sitting outside their shack selling balut at past nine in the evening when the gunman approached Herodel and shot him in the head without any provocation.

Victoriano, on the other hand, who was just a few inches away, was hit with the bullet that exited his nephew’s head. He suffered a gunshot wound in his shoulder.

The gunman fled on foot after the incident.

According to the investigators, revenge was seen as the motive of the killing as Herodel was confirmed to have stabbed a young man to death on July 24, 2007. Herodel was said to stab a man but, accidentally hit the young man.

Further, the investigator claimed that Herodel has served some time in jail for stabbing the young man, but was eventually released from prison after he posted a bail. Herodel’s homicide case is still pending in court.

Up to the moment, there is no development in Herodel’s killing. The suspect remains at large.

However, police investigators are open with the idea of other motives in Herodel’s slay. They said someone could have harbored grudges against the victim as he was allegedly a notorious man in his place.

Case No. 2: Yet another man involved in sex trade shot dead

Victim: Junie Olores, 24, resident of Royal Valley in Bangkal, Davao City
Date: 15 May at 1 a.m.

An unidentified man shot a suspected callboy to death along Claro M. Recto and Palma Gil Streets in Davao City.

The victim, identified as Junie Olores, 24, was with his live-in partner, Mary Grace (not her true name) crossing the road at around 1 a.m. when an unidentified man appeared and shot Olores in the different parts of his body with a caliber .45 pistol causing his instantaneous death.

Witnesses said the suspect, clad in a white t-shirt and cargo pants, casually walked away from the scene of crime and boarded on a waiting motorcycle nearby.

Mary Grace told probers she has no idea of the motive of the killing and claimed that Olores has no enemy and was not even engaged in any illegal activity.

Olores is a father of one and Mary Grace is pregnant with their second child when the incident happened.

Police are still making investigation to know Olores’s perpetrators.

Case No. 3: Stabbed dead on pretext of gang war

Victim: Dexter Jaranilla, 22, resident of Arellano Street, Davao City
Date: 13 May at 9:30 p.m.

On May 13, a 22-year-old balut vendor, who was said to be a member of a gang, was stabbed to death by three unidentified men along Jose Abad Santos Street in Davao City.

Dexter Jaranilla, allegedly a member of the Warshock Gang, was hanging out with his friends at around 9:30 p.m. when three unidentified men armed with a knife approached him.

Jaranilla and his friends ran in different directions, but Jaranilla was cornered by the suspects who jointly stabbed him. He died on the spot.

The suspects fled onboard a motorcycle after the incident.

Police investigators from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) said Jaranilla succumbed to 14 stabbed wounds in the different parts of his body. They claimed Jaranilla has been jailed for several cases such as gang war and robbery. They added that the victim has even a record of attempted rape at the police station.

Police recovered a knife in the victim’s cadaver.

Case No. 4: Shot dead for unknown reason

Victim: Richie Cordova, 26, of Doña Pilar, Sasa, Davao City
Date: 19 April at 7 p.m.

Richie Cordova, 26, machinist, was driving a Nissan Pathfinder on his way home in Sasa, Davao City at around 7 p.m. His father, Benjamin, who was following him, was also onboard a Toyota Townace.

When they reached Damosa in Lanang, Benjamin said one of the two unidentified motorcycle-riding men tapped the side mirror of his car and fled away.

Cordova, who saw the incident, followed the motorcycle to confront the men. He cornered the men near the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) in Lanang where he was shot with a caliber .45 pistol by one of the suspects.

Cordova succumbed to a gunshot wound on his chest. It was too late for his father to bring him at a nearby hospital because he already died while they were on their way.

The suspects were not apprehended as they immediately fled onboard their motorcycle after the incident.

Police investigators have still no lead of the killing.

Case No. 5: “Vigilantes” shot a man dead

Victim: Marlon Divino Lara, 32, resident of Talosa Village, Talomo, Davao City
Date: 31 March at 8:30 p.m.

Suspected members of the Davao Death Squad were pointed to as the responsible in the killing of Marlon Divino Lara, 32, and resident of Talosa Village in Talomo, Davao City.

Lara was just sitting outside the sari-sari store owned by his cousin, Gary in Talomo Proper when three unidentified armed men onboard two motorcycles
appeared.

One of the men, described to be around 30 years old and 5’4” tall, approached Lara and shot him twice at a close range.

The suspects fled onboard their motorcycles to unknown direction leaving Lara bathed in his own blood.

The responding policemen tried to save Lara by bringing him to a hospital, but failed. Lara died while being transported to the hospital.

Police said they will trace Lara’s background whether the latter was like one of those engaged in illegal activities who were earlier executed by the so-called Davao Death Squad.

Case No. 6: Boy survives attempt on his life

Victim: Reginald alias Dingdong, resident of Purok 51, Seaside, NHA Bangkal, Davao City
Date: 15 March at 8:45pm

Reginald (surname withheld for being a minor) was playing billiard at a billiard hall just a few meters away from their house in Purok 51, Seaside, NHA Bangkal, Davao City when a lone gunman appeared from behind him and shot him without provocation.

Witnesses said Reginald was able to run away from the billiard hall, but his attacker followed him and even shot him twice in the body.

When he fell on the ground, the attacker rushed away from the scene of crime.

Reginald’s brother, who was informed by a neighbor about the incident, brought Reginald to the Davao Adventist Hospital. However, he was advised to transfer the victim to the Davao Medical Center for the two gunshot wounds the victim suffered were serious.

Police have yet to identify Reginald’s attacker. They have also not recovered any evidence in the crime scene.

Case No. 7: Two persons shot dead; one on gang war pretext

Victim: Osmer Manlaya Tabuclin, 28, resident of Purok 25, Ma-a, Davao City
Date: 3 February at 7 p.m.
Victim: Lorex Asuncion, 19, resident of South Villa Subdivision
Date: 2 February

On February 3, 2008, a construction worker died after he was shot in the face by an unidentified man outside his house in Purok 25, Barangay Ma-a, Davao City.

The victim, identified as Osmer Manlaya Tabuclin, 28, was just sitting outside his house at around 7 p.m. when he was approached by an unidentified man armed with a .9mm pistol and shot him in the right portion of his face without provocation.

Tabuclin died on the spot, while the suspect fled onboard a motorcycle after the incident.

Investigators from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) recovered two empty shells of .9mm pistol in the crime scene. They failed to establish the background of the victim and the motive of the killing.

Tabuclin was the second victim executed in just two days in the area of responsibility of the Talomo police.

On February 2, one Lorex Asuncion, 19, and resident of South Villa Subdivision, was also shot to death by suspected members of the Davao Death Squad.

Asuncion, whom police investigators said was a member of the Bloods Gang, was inside a public utility jeepney (PUJ) at a terminal in Catalunan Grande, when an unidentified man shot him twice in the head.

After the incident, the suspect casually walked towards a motorcycle where another man is waiting.

Two empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol were recovered from the scene of crime by the responding policemen.

Case No. 8: Man survives attempt on his life

Victim: Michael Melecio, 22, resident of Talomo, Davao City
Date: 4 February at 10:30 p.m.

Michael Melecio, 22, and resident of Talomo, was on his way home from a carnival in Talomo Proper at around 10:30 p.m. when he was waylaid by four unidentified man, one of them was armed with an improvised gun locally known as “sumpak”.

Melecio tried to run, but one of the suspects shoot him hitting him on the neck.

Though wounded, Melecio was able to make it on his way home and was later brought by his family to the Davao Medical Center for treatment.

During the investigation, Melecio told probers that he received a text message from someone whose number was not registered on his mobile phone.

He said someone texted him and asked him where he was. He claimed he replied and said he was at the carnival and added that he will not stay long and will go home afterwards.

Police investigators, on the other hand, said revenge was eyed as the motive of the slay try. They said someone could have harbored grudges against the victim though the latter insists that he has not offended anyone.