THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) 7 will investigate the deaths in government operations of five persons, including PO3 Ryan Quiamco and his wife Rizalyn, who was pregnant.
“We will conduct an investigation even though we expect that many will be questioning why these kinds of incidents have to be investigated, especially considering that Quiamco had been tagged by the president himself as a high-profile drug personality,” said Leo Villarino, special investigator of the CHR 7.
“Nonetheless, we still have to conduct an investigation because there is a standing directive and marching order from our Central Office that all incidents of deaths or killings that occur during police operations should be investigated,” he said. “That is the mandate of the Commission. In this case, there was an alleged shoot-out with the police that resulted to death and, since this is a police operation, it should be looked into.”
Villarino said that even the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP is mandated to conduct motu propio investigations for operations that resulted in death.
“If the PNP is conducting automatic motu propio investigations into incidents like these, the more reason that the commission should also investigate these incident—so that we can come up with a fair investigation on whether or not there was a legitimate need to result to the killing the victim/criminal.”
Naga incident
Two street-level drug pushers were killed when they attempted to fight off policemen who were conducting a buy bust against them in Barangay Lanas, City of Naga last Tuesday night.
Michael Pacaña, 35, and Oscar Encabo, both residents of the said barangay, never made it past the emergency room of the Minglanilla District Hospital when they were brought by responders there.
PO1 Frank Alemiento of the City of Naga Police Station said both suspects were conducting their illegal transaction with a poseur buyer at 9 p.m. when they noticed that something was off.
Operatives initially targeted to arrest Pacaña after receiving reports of his illegal operations in the area.
When they noticed that they were dealing with policemen, both suspects started pulling out their pistols and started shooting at responding operatives.
But operatives led by SPO2 Lusemendo Basallo were able to neutralized the two suspects.
Recovered were four small packs of suspected shabu, P500 buy-bust money, several guns and ammunition.
Also recovered was a motorcycle used by the two suspects.
Supt. Gregorio Galsim, City of Naga police chief, told reporters that the operation was deemed legitimate, despite what happened to the suspects.
He vowed that more operations will be conducted against illegal drug personalities in the city. (TLN, JKV)