Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — For the first time since President Rodrigo Duterte waged a war on drugs, a case has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the government’s Oplan Tokhang.
The petitioners are relatives of five suspects targeted by Quezon City police during a tokhang operation.
Police shot all five suspects – killing four – but one survived.
The petitioners now ask the high court to have tokhang operations suspended in areas under Quezon City Police District Station 6.
They’re also seeking protection against police harassment and intimidation.
Petitioners tell the court how police ended up killing the four suspects.
They say on August 21, 2016, at about one in the afternoon, five men and two women in civilian clothes barged into a room where the victims were playing pool.
The men pulled out short firearms and accused the suspects of being involved in illegal drugs.
The men – who turned out to be police – then ransacked the house.
They emerged later on carrying supposed evidence against the suspects – some aluminum foil and a lighter in the shape of a gun.
Two of the suspects were brought to another room near a ravine.
Without warning, suspect Efren Morillo was shot in the chest, followed by his other companion. Miraculously, Morillo survived.
Morillo played dead and was able to escape. But his three other companions weren’t lucky. They were executed in cold blood. One even begged for his life.
According to Atty. Cristina Antonio, a lawyer for petitioners, said: “One of them, si Jessie Dule, I would like to emphasize… Nakakaawa po ang nangyari sa kanya kasi lumuhod siya. Nagmakaawa doon sa mga pulis.”
[Translation: One of the, Jessie Dule, I would like to emphasize… what happened was really pitiful because he got down on his kneews. He begged the police for his life.]
The armed men stayed for several hours inside the house and even had a meal using the family’s plates and utensils.
They even asked for food and drinks from the live-in-partner of one of the suspects.
Petitioners say the police fabricated their reports about the suspects firing at them first, and even supposedly yelling they won’t be taken alive.
Atty. Rommel Bagares, lawyer for the petitioners said, “They’re (the policemen) still on active duty. That’s why they’re able to roam freely. And that’s the reason why we’re here because they keep on visiting the houses, the area, the community.”
Criminal cases have yet to be filed against the policemen.
The petitioners’ lawyers urge more families to file similar cases in court.
Bagares said, “We hope that other victims will be emboldened to actually cry for help and to seek for the help of the court.”
They’re also studying filing another petition to challenge the legality of Oplan Tokhang.
