7 victims of summary execution found in Bulacan town overnight

Seven victims of summary execution, one of them a woman, were found in different locations in San Jose del Monte town in Bulacan overnight, a report on "24 Oras" said Friday.

In her report, GMA News' Marisol Abdurahman said all the victims were bound, had packaging tapes on their faces, and cardboards identifying them as drug pushers. All also suffered gunshot wounds in different parts of their body.

The report said first to be found, at 10 p.m. Thursday night, were two bodies in Barangay Tungkong-Mangga, followed by three more bodies in Barangay Muzon that were found at 4 a.m. on Friday. Two more from Barangay Graceville were added to the grim count at 5 a.m.

Authorities said all the victims were residents of San Jose del Monte town. Only two of them have been identified so far: Dennis Igno and Marjorie Terseno.

"Ito'y mga pusher dito sa area, at sila yung sinasabing nagbabagsak dito sa area ng San Jose del Monte. Pero we are confirming these reports," said Supt. Wilson Magpali of hte San Jose del Monte Police.

The report said authorities have yet to determine whether or not the killings were done by only one group.

The bodies were brought to funeral parlors where they have yet to be claimed by their relatives.

Magpali said they are already looking into the killings. "Pinatututukan ng ating regional director na ito ay maimbestigahan nang maayos at matignan talaga kung ano yung rason ng pagkamatay ng mga ito," he said.

Recovered from the crime scenes were slugs from caliber .45 and 9 millimeter.

The Duterte administration's war on drugs has already claimed over 1,000 lives, most of them killed when they allegedly tried to resist arrest. Some deaths were blamed on vigilantes and purging within illegal drug syndicates.

The alarming number of fatalities has already triggered a Senate investigation. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News