By Benjamin Pulta | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Four of 52 incidents under review for suspicious deaths during police operations have resulted in criminal cases.
Cases have been filed in Regional Trial Courts involving the deaths of Carl Angelo Arnaiz (Navotas City); Richard Santillan and Gessamyn Casing (Cainta City, Rizal); Anwar Sawadjaan, Noel Bacalzo, and Angelo Hofer (Zamboanga del Norte); and Sharif Amatonding (San Pedro, Laguna).
Last year, the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Services released information on the 52 cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ), part of the more than 150 incidents under review.
The DOJ has since turned over the case files to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“Per the initial report of the NBI dated 4 January 2022, most of the 52 cases turned over by the PNP Internal Affairs Service are still under evaluation by the regional offices or are presently subject of case build-up,” DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra said via text message on Tuesday.
Arnaiz, 19, was found dead 10 days after he left his home in Cainta, Rizal in 2017.
According to the Caloocan police, Arnaiz tried to rob taxi driver, Tomas Bagcal, who was taking the teenager home from Navotas City.
The driver sought police assistance and in an ensuing firefight, Arnaiz was shot. Three packets of marijuana and shabu were allegedly recovered from the fatality.
Santillan and Casing were killed in December 2019 during drug-related operations in Cainta City, while Amatonding died in 2016.
Sawadjaan, 19; Hofer, 22; and Bacalzo, residents of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, were killed in a shootout with policemen in July 2016 along the national highway in Barangay Overview, Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte.
The police, acting on a report of suspected drug couriers, set up a checkpoint which the trio allegedly bypassed.
The DOJ formed a panel to review deaths during anti-illegal drug operations as part of the country’s commitment before the United Nations Human Rights Council to look into alleged police violations. (PNA) -ag
