Slaughter of Innocents

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MURDER TRAIL: In our previous reports, we already mentioned several cases involving murders of former detainees; and those murdered in connection with the continuing unsolved robbery incidents. On June 18 and 19, another motorcycle taxi driver in General Santos City and a former detainee in Tagum City were murdered respectively once again.

The photo above is an aerial view of a section of General Santos City in Mindanao where murders of this nature, particularly the murders of motorcycle taxi drivers, are continuously taking place.

Towards the left, where green vegetation, can be seen connects a road between the Barangays (villages) of Apopong and Labangal. This place turns into a de facto “no man’s land” during nighttime because not only does this murder often happens there, the people and villagers living in these areas are themselves too frighten to pass by when night falls. So, the people has had to be in their houses at least before 7pm.

The photo below is how does this place looks like during day time. Motorcycle taxi drivers, their passengers and villagers could carry on their usual activities, but they could either hardly do their usual activities or too frighten to use the road when night falls. Even if they could do so, the blame is on them and they themselves have had to take responsibility to whatever may happen to them—which is often fatal.

Even though the police authorities have been informed of these situation and that there have been murders taking place in this areas, particularly during nighttime, they did nothing into taking action to ensure security for passers by, for villagers who are living close by in order to prevent it.

The local villagers’ officials, too, did nothing; for instance, even for placing street lights or deploying security forces in the area to protect the villagers and civilians. The place is remote and had no street lights at all. The policemen and local officials knew where these murders usually takes place and what they should have been doing, but they continuously ignore into take action.

Case No. 1: Former detainee killed

Victim: Joel Bapilar, 25, resident of Purok Talisay, Seminary Drive, Tagum City, Davao del Norte
Date: 19 June 2008

Joel Bapilar, who was former detainee for rape charges, was shot to death by still unidentified man in Tagum City Overland Transport Integrated Terminal. He was just standing at the terminal when he was approached by unidentified man armed with a caliber .45 pistol and shot him several times in the head.

Witnesses claimed the gunman fled on foot to unknown direction after the incident.

Bapilar, on the other hand, was declared dead on the spot by the responding policemen who recovered four empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol at the scene of crime.

Police records showed that Bapilar has been jailed before for rape charges and was just released on November last year.

Police has yet to establish the motive of the killing. They are still conducting further investigation of the incident.

Case No. 2: Motorcycle taxi driver found dead

Victim: unidentified
Date: 18 June 2008 at 8:30 a.m.

On June 18, a motorcycle driver was found dead with several head injuries and stabbed wounds in the body in Purok Silway San Juan, Barangay West in General Santos City.

Police have yet to identify the victim as the latter has no identification or any pertinent documents with him when he was found.

The victim, described to be 5′10 tall, clad in a denim short pants, and white and red sweatshirt, was discovered to have wounds in the head and three stabbed wounds in his stomach. He also succumbed to several contusions in the different parts of his body.

Police from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) confirmed that the injuries of the victim in the head were caused by a hammer. They are eyeing robbery as the motive of the killing as the victim’s pockets were already reversed and that several coins were scattered near the victim’s cadaver.

Police added the suspects could have been looking for the key of the victim’s motorcycle, but did not find it as it was worn around the victim’s neck.

The victim’s motorcycle, with plate number 5780, was also recovered in the scene of crime

Police are making further investigation to know the identity of the victim and to identify the suspects.