Witness insists cops hit engineer, daughter in Parañque shootout

MANILA, Philippines – The father and daughter victims of the December 5 Parañaque shootout were killed by cops going after robbery suspects, a witness to the incident insisted on Sunday at the Balitaan sa Tinapayan Forum in Manila. Hilario Indiana, former vice mayor of Bongabon town in Nueva Ecija, said he had already submitted his sworn-in affidavits to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) regarding the victims – 51-year-old Alfonso "Jun" de Vera and 7-year-old daughter Lia Allana. "There was no crossfire," Indiana, a friend of the De Veras, said. "I saw men wearing uniforms with RSAF [Regional Special Action Forces] markings shooting Jun [Alfonso de Vera] while carrying his daughter." At the same forum, Harvey Keh, a member of Kaya Natin Movement, a cause-oriented group, said he believed some policemen were sincere in getting to the truth about the shootout, which left 12 suspected robbers and four civilians dead. "While I still believe that some PNP officials are doing their best to attain justice for the victims, we cannot deny the fact that the PNP intelligence operatives commit mistakes that led to the killing of the de Veras They mistook the marine engineer for a member of the Waray-Waray gang,” Keh said. Indiana seemed to confirm that believe, relating at the forum what he witnessed. He said armed men riddled De Vera’s Isuzu Crosswind with bullets at the United Paranaque Subdivision 4. On seeing his daughter hit by bullets, De Vera got out of his vehicle, carrying his daughter to take cover at a nearby jeep. "But I saw men wearing uniforms with RSAF markings following and subsequently shooting Jun," he said. "And then someone shouted: Bro, may bata [there's a child]. Another man ordered to bring the girl to the hospital." Indiana said he wanted justice for his friends – the De Veras – and he would only give statements as to what he had witnessed. "Jun, together with daughter, was about to fetch his wife," he said. "I just talked to him early that afternoon. And then I was in the nearby store when I heard the commotion. Then I saw what happened to Jun. I was wondering, since there was already a block in the area, how come Jun managed to pass through the block installed by police." Keh urged President Gloria Arroyo to intervene in the matter, saying: "We are appealing to President Arroyo to lead the PNP in ensuring that justice will be attained. We are appealing for accountability of those responsible to the deaths of the civilians, and we want transparency in the probe." - GMANews.TV