Cops killed father, daughter in P'que shootout, witness tells CHR probers

MANILA, Philippnes - A witness to the last month’s Parañaque shootout claimed it was policemen, and not the suspected robbers, who killed civilian Alfonso De Vera and his seven-year-old daughter Lia Alyana. Hilario Indiana told a Human Rights Commission panel probing the shootout that De Vera was already on his knees when shot by the perpetrator who he said stood before the victim. “Pulis mismo ang bumaril… nakita ko. Hindi ko makikilala ang mga mukha kasi yung iba naka-bonnet saka medyo madilim po ang lugar na yun eh [The victims were killed by cops. That’s what I saw. I couldn’t see their faces because some of them were wearing bonnets and the place was dark],” Indiana said. Indiana added that he saw the elder De Vera leave his vehicle and try to hide under a parked passenger jeepney nearby, and that Then two or three persons followed the victim. “May dalawa o tatlo yata na lumapit... Kasi sumigaw na papunta diyan sa inyo, tapos narinig ko ‘may bata pala.’ Kaya may nag-order na dalhin niyo sa ospital yung bata,” Indiana said. ["Two or three persons followed the Mr. De Vera. Somebody shouted, 'he's going in your direction'. Then someone yelled, 'there is a kid', and then someone ordered that the kid be brought to a hospital."] Intense gunfire “Grabe po ang putukan. Kaliwa’t kanan pumuputok [The gunfire was extremely intense. Guns were firing left and right],” he added. Sixteen people – 10 suspected robbery gang members, a policeman and five civilians – were killed in the shootout, which occurred at the United Parañaque Subdivision last December 5. In their report submitted to the CHR, the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) said it was the suspected robbers that killed De Vera and his daughter. Indiana further told the CHR panel that no other vehicles but the De Veras’ Isuzu Crosswind and a parked public utility jeepney were on the scene during the shootout. Indiana also said he was sure that the people in the area at that time were policemen because they were in uniform, with some having “RSAF” (Regional Special Action Force) printed on the back. Indiana’s statement refuted the PNP-HPG’s claim that police vehicles were also in the area. 'Very disturbing' CHR chairperson Leila de Lima described as “very disturbing” the conflicting versions of the shootout. De Lima however said they are “somehow close” to determining the group responsible for the death of the De Veras. “Maybe we’re close in determining at least the group, not necessary the individual,” De Lima said. Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr., director of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF), testified that only 18 of their members were involved in the infamous incident. He said that their participation to the operation was upon the request from higher authority to complement the police group since the suspects were reportedly heavily armed. Santiago said that the SAF members are distinct from the other groups included in the composite police team through their fatigue-like uniform and their ballistic helmet and vest. Santiago maintained that SAF members were instructed to focus on the maroon Toyota Revo, where the heavily-armed suspects were said onboard. Thus, he said, SAF members were not involved in the exchange of gun fires that took place in the area where the De Veras were killed. “As far as the SAF (is concerned), we’ll be the one to engage with the maroon Revo,” Santiago replied to De Lima’s question on the main objective of the SAF in participating in the police operation. As this developed, the CHR public inquiry revealed that the name of PO1 Elybeer Cayaban was not among those in the list of HPG members involved in the Parañaque shootout that was submitted to the constitutional body. Administrative cases Cayaban, however, was among the nine HPG members who were recommended to be charged administratively before the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the PNP and criminally before the courts in connection with the shootout. Cayaban was even recommended to be charged with violating the human rights of the De Veras, as an empty shell traced to his .45-caliber pistol was retrieved near the vehicle of De Vera’s vehicle. The recommendation of the filing of charges against the HPG members was released the other day, but De Lima said the findings of the PNP-IAS will not affect the CHR’s investigation into the incident. “The report was only on the team of HPG who were found to be negligent on the need to secure the area of supposed encounter,” De Lima said, adding that the CHR’s objective in conducting its own investigation is to determine where the shots came from that led to the death of the De Veras. - with Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV