NANAWAGAN ang grupong Karapatan para sa independent investigation hinggil sa pagpatay ng dalawang barangay officials sa Iriga City at bayan ng Buhi sa Camarines Sur sa isinagawang police operations kamakailan.

“An independent investigation on the operations of the Philippine National Police in Camarines Sur is imperative, especially since these resulted in the killings of Brgy. Niño Jesus Capt. Elmer Casabuena in Iriga City and Brgy. Tambo Kagawad Froilan Oaferina III in Buhi.

Based on the accounts of witnesses, there is reason to believe that their consecutive deaths are plain murder, using the ‘nanlaban narrative’ in course of the PNP’s service of search warrants and are not coincidental. Both incidents have the intent to impose a chilling effect on these communities, as what Oplan Tokhang and police raids, arrests and killings of activists had done on a nationwide scale,” ani Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.

Si Froilan Saez Oaferina III, 45-anyos, kagawad ng Barangay Tambo, Buhi, Camarines Sur ay napatay noong gabi ng Abril 25, 2021 nang ang 30 police elements ay magtungo sa kanilang bahay para magsilbi ng search warrant.

Ayon sa testigo, dinala ng mga pulis si Oaferina sa isang madilim na parte ng kanilang bahay at narinig na nagmamakaawa, kalaunan ay nakarinig sila ng mga putok ng baril.

Nakita nila si Oaferina na wala nang buhay makalipas ang tatlong oras at nakarekober ang mga awtoridad ng isang .38 caliber sa tabi ng biktima.

Ang nasabing baril ay itinanggi ng pamilya at sinabing wala umanong armas ang kanilang kaanak na napatay.

Nauna rito, noong Marso 26 ng madaling araw, si Elmer Casabuena, 50-anyos, barangay captain ng Brgy. Niño Jesus sa Iriga City, Camarines Sur, ay napatay matapos na puwersahang pasukin ang kanilang bahay ng mga pulis at dinala sa ibang kuwarto para maihiwalay sa kanyang asawa at anak bago siya barilin.

Pagkaraan ay saka lamang umano nagsasagawa ang mga pulis ng paghalughog sa bahay, gamit ang search warrant na inisyu ni Executive Judge Maria Angela Acompanado-Arroyo ng San Jose Regional Trial Court.

Sinabi ng pamilya nina Oaferina at Casabuena na ang mga kagamitan ng mga biktima, kasama ang malaking halaga ng pera, cellphones, gadgets, at iba pa ay nawawala.

“We support the call of the families for justice for Casabuena and Oaferina. If civilian officials can simply be killed with impunity, stripping them of their right to due process, what more the powerless and nameless civilians killed due to red-tagging or the bloody war on drugs? There should be a stop to these murders!” banggit pa ni Palabay.

“Nakakasuklam! The PNP plays with the word ‘bayanihan’ in their ‘Barangayanihan’ project to invoke the Filipino spirit of giving and helping each other. On the other hand, their hands remain bloody as they continue to kill in barangays and communities, plant evidence, arrest and go on with their tokhang, raids and red-tagging sprees,” pahabol pa ni Palabay. (JOEL O. AMONGO)