Slaughter of Innocents

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AT GLANCE: From July 11 to 14, vigilante yet again murdered ten persons in separate incidents in three cities and in a municipality. These deaths took place, once again, in cities of Davao, General Santos and Cebu/Sugbu. One was reported in the municipality of Bansalan, Davao del Sur, a place close to Digos City, where murders perpetrated by vigilante groups has also since been taking place.

Apart from having no qualms of killing their targets in a crowded places and broad daylight, in Case No. 7 mentioned below, even themselves had called for a police assistance for the latter to take a man whom they shot to the hospital. The victim, however, died on his way to the hospital.

Also, these scenarios wherein unknown corpses obviously victims of extrajudicial executions—some of the corpses have had traces of torture injuries, their feet were tied with wires, shot at close range—have also become an ordinary occurrence in some villages in the city of Davao, as mentioned in Cases Nos. 4 and 6.

Also in the same place, as described in Case No. 2, gunmen finished off a man in front of his pregnant wife despite the latter’s pleas to spare her husband’s wife. The victim, in attempt to spare his wife’s life as well, pushed her away before the gunmen repeatedly shot him dead to finished him off.

Meanwhile, Case No. 5 mentions the shooting of an armed militia of a villager over claims the victim was caught red handed stealing. However, the victim said he though he admitted to have tried to steal a sack of rubber, he had already yield himself in to the militiamen who had caught him, yet he was shot.

Case No. 1: Gunmen kill three persons in separate incidents

Victims:
1. Norbert Sumicad, of legal age, resident of Barangay (village) Labangon, Sugbo City
2. Tomas Carbonilla, 52, resident of Villagonzalo II, Sugbo City
Injured: Agustino Misa, 24, resident of Sitio Kolo, Barangay Inayawan, Sugbo City
Date: 11 July

Unidentified gunmen shot three men in separate incidents, two of the victims died, while the other survived.

The dead victims were identified as Norbert Sumicad, of legal age, owner of a piano repair shop along Katipunan corner T. Masong Private roads in Barangay Labangon and one Tomas Carbonilla, 52, of Villagonzalo II, Sugbo City.

Meanwhile, one Agustino Misa, 24, and resident of Sitio Kolo, Barangay Inayawan, Sugbo City has survived. He was treated at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) he was wounded from the shooting by an unidentified suspect.

The victims were attacked within twelve hours on July 11.

Police investigation revealed that Misa was standing outside a videoke bar when he was attacked by a group of men.

Misa’s friend, whose name was not mentioned, told the police that the groups were pacified by some concerned citizens prompting them to leave the area.

But one of the men returned a few minutes later after the commotion and without any provocation shot Misa with an unknown firearm.

The suspect escaped before the policemen could arrive. Misa, on the other hand, was brought to the hospital where he was treated.

Moments later, Norbert Sumicad was in his piano repair shop at around 11:30 a.m. along Katipunan corner T. Masong Private roads in Barangay Labangon, when he was approached by one of the two men riding on a motorcycle.

Police investigation revealed that the man pretended to be as his customer and told Sumicad that he wanted him to have his piano fixed in his home. He also told him that he would pay Sumicad his charge for home service.

As Sumicad was about to ride the motorcycle of the suspects, one of them suddenly shot him to his head. Witnesses saw the suspects fleeing to unknown direction after the shooting incident. Sumicad died on his way to the Cebu City Medical Center where he was supposed to have been treated.

Meanwhile, Tomas Carbonilla, 52, car watcher, and resident of Villagonzalo II in Sugbo City also died after he was shot by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men.

The personal backgrounds of the victims are still not established though. Police are conducting further investigations of the three incidents.

Case No. 2: Gunmen shot a man dead ignoring his wife’s plea not to kill him

Victim: Leo Perez, 25, dispatcher/truck helper, resident of Bago Gallera, Davao City
Date: 11 July at 6:30 p.m.

On July 11, Leo Perez was killed by an unidentified suspect in front of his pregnant live-in partner and his 3-year-old child inside his house in Bago Gallera, Davao City.

In his initial investigation, SPO1 Elenar Agustin, of the Talomo police precinct, said the victim, his live-in partner named Linda, 17, and his child were watching television inside their house at around 6:30 p.m. when an unidentified man called Perez.

The man allegedly asked Perez about a woman whom the latter doesn’t know. The man walked away, but later returned and shot Perez without provocation.

Linda told police that she even covered herself to the victim’s body, knowing that the latter was still breathing. She claimed she begged to the suspect not to kill Perez as she was pregnant.

But the suspect pushed Linda away and shot Perez several times causing the latter’s death.

The suspect, described to be 5′7′ tall, clad in a dirty-white t-shirt and short pants, casually walked away from Perez’s house and approached another man with a long hair, who was waiting for him on an XRM motorcycle.

Recovered from the scene of crime are two empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol.

Perez succumbed to gunshot wounds in his head and in his eye.

Police said they are investigating whether the victim has offended anyone in his work.

Case No. 3: Another man killed in a crowded market

Victim: Saidamin Mangutara Baser, 22, native of Marawi City, and resident of Barayco, Bankerohan, Davao City
Date: 11 July at 7:30 p.m.

A Maranao, who was said to have stabbed another last month, died after he was shot by an unidentified suspect at the Metro Circle, otherwise known as the “Bagsakan Center” of Bankerohan public market in Davao City.

Saidamin Mangutara Baser, 22, native of Marawi City, was just sitting on a bench near a vegetable stall owned by his parents at the Metro Circle in Bankerohan at around 7:30 p.m. when a lone gunman approached him and shot him in the head at a very close range.

Baser died instantly, while the suspect ran together with the crowd and later disappeared.

Police, in their investigation, learned that Baser has stabbed another Maranao in June 2008, but the family of the latter did not file any charges against Baser.

Police are conducting further investigation to identify the suspect.

Case No. 4: Villagers knew a dead man is one of many victims of killing

Victim: unidentified
Place of incident: Davao City
Date: 13 July at 11:10 p.m.

A man, who remained unidentified, was found dead with several gunshot wounds in the body near the Emilio Ramos National High School in Barangay Angliongto, Davao City on July 13.

Residents near the school reported to police that they heard successive gun bursts at around 11:10 p.m. causing them to check only to find out a man dead along a culvert near the Emilio Ramos National High School.

The man, described to be about 30 years old, 5′4″ tall, with curly hair, has no any pertinent documents with him when he was found.

Police, who recovered four live bullets and one empty shell of a caliber .45 pistol, believe that the man was not a resident of the place since nobody could identify him.

Police further disclosed that the residents near the scene of crime claimed that they heard a sound of a motorcycle fleeing away a few moments after the gun bursts. The residents also disclosed that the incident is not new to them, saying that there is a lot of salvage victims previously found in the area.

The area, where the victim was found, was dark.

Police are further investigating to know the background of the victim and to establish the motive of the incident.

Case No. 5: Yet another militia shot a man

Victim: Calixto Pulbos Jr., 28, resident of Barangay Darapuay, Bansalan, Davao del Sur
Date: 14 July

A 28-year-old man, who was allegedly mistaken to be a robber, survived after he was shot by a member of the 72nd Infantry Battalion in Barangay Darapuay in Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

The family of Calixto Pulbos Jr., 28, of Barangay Darapuay in Bansalan, shouts for justice after Dencio Ungot, a militia man attached to the said military unit shot Pulbos on both feet while the Cafgu were conducting a foot patrol in the same Barangay at dawn on July 14.

Ungot claimed that he caught Pulbos in the act of stealing two sacks of rubber. He said he warned Pulbos not to do so but the latter still shot at him in both feet. Pulbos said he had already yield himself to Ungot when the latter warned him.

Pulbos said Ungot had actually deceived and forced him into admitting he had stolen the sacks so he would not be shot. Calixto Sr., on the other hand, expressed his grievance over the incident, saying it is not right to treat his son as a criminal even if his son really steals the sacks.

Pulbos family also wants Ungot to pay for the incident. Meanwhile, the Bansalan police have yet to receive complaints of theft on Pulbos.

Case No. 6: Two executions victims found dead in separate incidents

Victims: Two unidentified men
Date: 14 July and 15 July

Two still unidentified men were found dead in separate incidents in Matina Biao, Tugbok district and in Barangay Mudyang, Bunawan district, Davao City on July 14 and July 15, respectively.

Police believe that the two victims may have been killed but were just executed separately by the same group.

The first victim was found by one Cyril Planar, motorcycle driver, of Matina Biao at a grassy portion near the road.

Residents, who live near the area where the cadaver was found, claimed that they noticed a car and a van in the area at around 9 p.m. of July 14. They believe that the victim was boarded on one of those vehicles.

Senior Police Officer (SPO1) Emerson Fernando, prober of the Tugbok police precinct, described the victim to be 5′7″ tall, clad in a white sleeveless shirt, a polo and denim jeans. He added that the victim had gunshot wound on his face and his feet were tied with a wire. The victim was also discovered to have tattoos in his chest and arm.

Police said the victim could be a taxi driver or a student. No identification card was recovered in the victim’s possession.

“Nagtuo lang ang mga tawo nga hubog lang to. Dili lang sab kini ang unang higayon nga gilabayan ug patay nga tawo ang maong dapit (The residents in the area though the victim was just a drunken man. This is not only the incident that a dead man was found in the area),” Barangay Captain Arnold Asubre said when interviewed.

Meanwhile, at around 5:30 a.m. of July 15, another dead body was found in Barangay Mudyang, Bunawan district, Davao City.

SPO1 Ariel Caca, of the Bunawan police precinct described the victim to be 5′5″ tall, and clad in a stripes t-shirt and a denim pants.

The victim, who has also no identification card when he was found, was discovered to have three stab wounds in his chest.

SPO1 Caca added that the residents in the area claimed that at around 11:30 p.m. of July 15, they have seen a Toyota Hilux pickup where the body was found.

Police are still making investigations of the two incidents.

Case No. 7: Vigilantes kill three men in four hours

Victims:
1. Alber Pabustan, 28, resident of Sitio Daroy, Purok Malakas, Barangay San Isidro, General Santos City
2. Ismael Almonte, 23, resident of Purok Maguindanao, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City
3. Alvin Bason, 20, resident of Purok Mauswagon, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City
Date: 14 July

On July 14, three men were shot to death in separate incidents just within four hours in Barangay San Isidro and in Barangay Labangal, General Santos City.

At around 4 p.m., Alber Pabustan, 28, was coming out of a cockpit in Barangay San Isidro when two motorcycle-riding men appeared; one of them shot him twice.

Pabustan succumbed to gunshot wounds in his head and chest. Reports said the suspects strangely even called for police assistance themselves so that the victim could be taken to the hospital for treatment; however, the latter was declared dead on arrival by the attending physicians.

Two hours later, Ismael Almonte, 23, was near the Saway Elementary School in Barangay Labangal, walking on his way home when two men onboard a black XRM motorcycle appeared.

Witnesses said one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the head causing his instantaneous death.

On the other hand, Basan, 20, was playing basketball a few meters away from his house in Purok Mauswagon at around 7 p.m. of the same day when an unidentified man approaching him suddenly shot him.

The suspect was seen with another unidentified companion fleeing onboard a black XRM motorcycle.

The members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) have recovered three empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Police Officer (PO2) Rodel Javison, homicide investigator, disclosed that they are still clueless of the identities of the suspects who were responsible in the continuing killings in the city.

“Mao pa kana ang atong gina-istablisar karong panahona kung kinsa kining mga nagpaluyo, kay ang ubang mga kaso dunay mga nagkalin-laing motibo sama sa pagpanimalos, pero kining tanan arong ginalawman ang imbestigasyon aron mogawas ang motibo sa pagpatay sa mga biktima (We are still making further investigation to establish the motives of those killings and to know the suspects. The incidents have different motives, some are made because of revenge),” PO2 Javison said.

/Source: Sun.Star Super Balita