Slaughter of Innocents

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CASE BRIEF: On July 2, two separate shooting incidents took place; one was done similar to vigilante style attacks in General Santos City while the other victim was shot dead by a village policeman as the former tries to attack his wife with a bladed weapon. These two incidents demonstrate the lack of effective implementation on the regulations regarding carrying of firearms which has already undermined the security and safety of the people there.

In these places, not only vigilante groups had been able to carry firearms and shots their targets in open public, even those who have no authority to enforce laws at all, in this case the village policemen, had been able to carry firearms and performs duties similar to those of regular police officers.

Case No. 1: Village police shots fisherman dead

Victim: Colas Heti, 47 years old, resident of Barangay (village) Sequil, Maasim, Sarangani Province
Suspect: Primo Pugong, 30, barangay police, resident of Barangay Sequil, Maasim, Sarangani Province.
Date: 2 July at 11 p.m.

On July 2, a fisherman died after he was shot by a barangay (village) police, who was identified as his relative in Barangay Sequil, Maasim, Sarangani Province.

Police Senior Inspector Joefil Remudaro, chief of the Maasim police, identified the victim as one Colas Heti, 47, and resident of Barangay Sequil, while the suspect is one Primo Pugong, 30, barangay police, also of the same place.

Police said Heti and his wife (name not identified) had a heated altercation causing the latter to seek assistance from Pugong at around 11 p.m.

Police added that Heti even followed his wife and tried to attack her with a bolo, but Pugong saw Heti approaching and shot him using a homemade gun.

Heti was shot in his stomach at a close range causing his instantaneous death.

Pugong escaped after the incident and is being hunted by the police.

Meanwhile, police are making plans on how to urge Pugong to surrender with the help of B’laan elders in the place. They are also preparing the filing of charges against Pugong.

Police already asked Heti’s wife to submit a complaint affidavit that can be used for the filing of homicide charges against the suspect.

Case No. 2: Young man gunned down

Victim: Albert Batayula alias Kokong, 21, former employee of Coca-Cola Company, resident of Zone 6, Purok Saway, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City
Date: 2 July at 6:30 p.m.

Police are still clueless of the motive of the killing of one Albert Batayula, 21, and former employee of the Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. who was shot in the head by an unidentified suspect in General Santos City on July 2.

Batayula was said to be on his way home to Zone 6, Purok Saway, Labangal from an internet cafe when the incident happened.

Witnesses disclosed that Batayula was about to board on a tricycle when a lone gunman appeared from his back and shot him once at the back portion of his head.

Just like other vigilante-style killings, the suspect ran towards a waiting motorcycle just a few meters away from the crime scene and sped off with his unidentified companion after the incident.

The gunman was described to be 5′6″ tall, at least 21 to 25 years old, clad in a jacket and denim jeans.

Batayula was rushed to a hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physicians. Police, on the other hand, recovered an empty shell of a caliber .45 pistol at the scene of incident.

Police claimed they have a hard time in conducting initial works of the case because no one from the witnesses is willing to coordinate and give cartographic sketch of the suspect.

Meanwhile, even Batayula’s family still cannot establish the possible motive of the killing since they suspect no one for committing such crime.

Source: SunStar Superbalita

Photo: a book cover of a report entitled “Vigilantes in the Philippines: A threat to Democratic Rule; 1988; by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights