94 deaths resulting from police operations probed

Cebu City Police Director Joel Doria answers questions from members of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding deaths of suspects resulting from police operations during yesterday’s continuation of hearings on extrajudicial killings.
(SCREENGRAB ANC)

Majority of the number of deaths that resulted from the legitimate police operations in Cebu province were caused by armed drug suspects who instinctively fought back policemen.

This was revealed by police officers assigned in Cebu during the Senate hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) in the country amid the government’s crackdown on drugs yesterday.

Among the police chiefs invited to speak during the inquiry were Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Eric Noble and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Joel Doria, who gave their testimonies regarding the police operations going on in Cebu.

From July 1 up to the present, policemen in Cebu City, the biggest city in Cebu, conducted 595 police operations that resulted in the arrest of 927 persons and the killing of 18 drug dependents. There are now 42 deaths under investigation (DUI) as a result of police operations, not necessarily involving illegal drugs.

The provincial police office, on the other hand, conducted 53 police operations against illegal drugs. There are 52 DUIs, not necessarily involving drugs, bringing to 94 the number of deaths resulting from police operations, which are now being investigated.

Noble noted that all of the arrested drug dependents are still alive and are now detained, while those killed during operations were neutralized by the responding policemen because they were armed and they fought back.

“Majority sa mga napapatay namin merong mga baril (Majority of those we killed had guns),” Noble said.

He said they were able to seize 97 firearms composed of pistols, high-powered guns like M14 and M16 and four grenades. These firearms are now in the custody of the PNP crime laboratory.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, asked Noble whether or not returning fire had always been the natural response of the suspects when being confronted by the police.

Noble replied that it depended on the situation and that illegal drugs had taken a toll on their targets in that drugs had made the suspects paranoid at the sight of policemen. “May mga lumalaban talaga. Kasi nagiging paranoid na yang mga iyan, lalo na yung mga gumagamit ng drugs. Pag nakakakita sila ng pulis, may damdamin na sila na huhulihin na sila. Parang hayop iyan na instinct kapag nako-corner. Iyan yata ang epekto ng drugs sa utak nila,” Noble said. (They really fight back. They are paranoid, especially those who use drugs. If they see policemen, they instinctively feel that they will be arrested. It’s like the instinct of animals when cornered. Maybe that’s the effect of drugs on their brain.”

Noble cited their most recent operation in Talisay City against two alleged hit men. Instead of just arresting the suspects, the cops were forced to kill them because the two were armed and allegedly fired at the police.

Noble said these alleged hit men were paid to shoot and kill anybody at their client’s request.

“Magagaling bumaril ang mga pulis ng Cebu (Policemen in Cebu are sharpshooters),” Noble told Gordon.

Amid the aggressive war on drugs, Gordon reminded the members of the PNP to supervise their men and to bear in mind to respect of the rights and
dignity of the drug suspects. He reiterated that their duty is to protect their welfare in the same manner that they protect that of the innocent civilians.

“Ang isa sa mga iniingatan nating dito, pag nasanay ang mga pulis na bumaril, baka gumradweyt sila na maging hit man… Nagiging bodyguard or (worse) pumapatay na ng tao, akala niya na exempted na siya from accountability. That’s why we want to make sure na magaling ang pulis: Na magaling silang bumaril (and at the same time), magaling silang magpatupad ng batas, at sinusunod nila ang mga karapatang pantao,” Gordon told the police chiefs.

In the continuing war against drugs, Noble said he wanted to teach his men “verbal judo” or persuasion, to make suspects surrender without resorting to the use of firearms.

The six-hour Senate inquiry ended at around 4 p.m.