Nine individuals were killed in separate operations conducted by the Police Regional Office in Southern Tagalog over the weekend.
The fatalities include six in Rizal, two in Batangas, and one in Cavite. Authorities are still in pursuit of six other individuals.
“Nagkaroon ng joint operation ang PRO4A, CIDG, SAF at AFP. Ito po ay simultaneous implementation po ng search warrant. So ang subject po natin dito ay mga explosives at loose firearms (There was a joint operation by PRO4A, CIDG, SAF, and AFP which is a simultaneous implementation of search warrant. The subjects are explosives and loose firearms),” PRO4A Spox. PLtCol. Chitadel Gaoiran disclosed.
Among the killed individuals in the operation was Melvin Dasigao. His wife, Rosalinda, said armed men went to their house in Rodriguez, Rizal at dawn on Sunday. She recognized them as members of the Cavite Police based on their uniforms. She and her two children were ordered to leave the house as authorities entered without presenting a search warrant. She did not know what transpired then until she heard gunshots.
Several groups have condemned the operation, some even described it as a bloody massacre. BAYAN maintained the slain individuals were legal activists.
“They are unarmed. Hindi po sila mga NPA (New People’s Army)… They are not personalities of alleged communist terrorist groups as PNP (Philippine National Police) claims,” BAYAN Sec. Gen. Renato Reyes asserted.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is now calling on the government to immediately “investigate the string of killings and arrests” considering “the brutal nature of the deaths and allegations of irregularities” in the operations.
The PNP, in response, claimed the operations were legitimate.
“We are covered by search warrant… We have to justify to the judge, bringing witness and… Hindi po ‘yun (It is not) illegitimate,” PNP Chief Gen. Debold Sinas explained.
Meanwhile, Malacaῆang assured a probe will be conducted on the incidents and clarified that the “kill, kill, kill” order of President Duterte is only for armed terrorists.
“Hindi po sila pwedeng patayin (They can’t be killed), unless there is a necessity and proportionality, at iyan po ang iimbestigahan (and that will be investigated) … Kung wala pong (If there is no) necessity and proportionality, that would be a crime of murder,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified.
Senators react
Senator Grace Poe pointed out that operations “must strictly adhere to due process” while stressing that protection of right to life “should have the highest threshold in our quest for peace and order.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed they are considering a bill “penalizing red tagging as a separate and distinct crime.”
“It goes without saying that the only legal justification to kill an adversary is in defense of oneself or another person. That said, it may not be proper to make premature conclusions and claims about the Calabarzon raids at this time, lest they affect the conduct of official investigations by the appropriate agencies,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson cautioned.
– Reports from Bea Bernardo and Eunice Samonte
