MANILA, Philippines – A couple and two males, who were brothers-in-law, were killed in two barangays in San Juan, Metro Manila Tuesday night by 14 assailants riding seven motorcycles.
According to the San Juan local government, all four victims were Oplan Tokhang surrenderers but failed to complete their rehab treatment under the government’s anti-drug campaign program and remained positive for drug use.
The first two victims, couple Ernest Evan and Mercedes Pinili, both 45 years old, were gunned down in Brgy. Progreso at about 10:30 p.m. inside their home and in front of their three children, one of whom had a disability.
The assailants wearing helmets and balaclavas then killed brothers-in-law Anthony Zamora and Jonathan Yamba past 11 p.m. also inside their home in nearby Brgy. Salapan.
Brgy. Progreso Chair Menchu Sto. Domingo said Evan and Pinili wanted to stop using illegal drugs thus they decided to voluntarily surrender to authorities via Oplan Tokhang and undergo drug rehabilitation.
But Sto. Domingo said that while the couple had gradually improved their ways, they could not be expected to become clean overnight from drug use.
“The mere fact na um-attend sila, nagbibigay sila ng time sa program na ‘yan, meron po tayong nakikitang pagbabago. Ang pagbabago di naman ho mabilisan. Hindi pa rin siguro maiaalis sa buhay nila ganyan…gradually nagbabago sila,” she said.
Meanwhile, according to authorities, Zamora and Yamba were both known as drug pushers in their barangay.
A resident, however, claimed that the brothers-in-law were drug users but not pushers.
“Gumagamit po sila pero hindi sila pusher,” said the resident, who requested anonymity.
The resident added that even if drug users surrender to the police, there would be no guarantee that they won’t be killed. “Kahit sumuko ka…walang kasiguraduhan na safe ka. Papatayin ka pa rin.”
Arsenio “Boy” Evangelista, spokesperson of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, said that while his group was supporting the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, VACC members couldn’t help but get alarmed by the worsening cases of drug-related killings in the country.
“It is causing international embarrassment…Ang perception tuloy nila…eh government [The perception is that the government is behind it],” said Evangelista.
“Nakakabahala talaga ito. Walang police intervention…parang wala na talagang batas [This is very alarming…There’s no police intervention…as if there are no more laws],” he added.
