Pubdate: Sat, 20 Aug 2016
Source: Sun.Star Cebu (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Sun.Star
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1690

BAROK MOM'S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE

IT'S easy to dismiss the search for justice by the mother of 
suspected drug lord Alvaro "Barok" Alvaro for her other son Medz, who 
was shot dead by policemen in a buy-bust operation in Danao City last 
Aug. 11. Also killed in that operation was Medz's alleged cohort, 
Ronnie Castro.

For believers in the method used by the administration of President 
Rodrigo Duterte in its campaign against the illegal drugs trade, 
relatives of Medz and Castro have lost their right to question the 
manner of their death because of their supposed involvement in 
criminal acts. But Emma Alvaro has as much a right to seek an 
investigation of the incident as relatives of victims of vehicular accidents.

Emma has sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) 7 
and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 so her claim that 
Medz, who was shot 12 times, was summarily executed would be looked 
into. She has insisted that her son didn't fire any shot and that the 
gun found near his body was planted. But elements of the Danao City 
Police Office (DCPO) said Medz was killed in a firefight.

What Emma Alvaro is doing is one that is not often seen under the 
Duterte administration's intensified anti-drugs drive that has so far 
killed almost 700 suspected drug dealers. Relatives of many of the 
victims have claimed that those killed didn't put up a resistance 
when arrested contrary to the usual claim of the raiders. But for one 
reason or another they refused to seek a probe.

Those who are protesting the surge in the killing of suspected drug 
traders want the police hierarchy to look into possible instances of 
summary executions by police elements. But the police leadership can 
evade doing that by claiming that no complaint was filed to warrant 
such an investigation. With Emma's persistence, there would no longer 
be any reason not to probe Medz's death.

The hope is that both CHR 7 and NBI 7 would entertain Alvaro's 
request, after all, elements of the DCPO would be given a chance to 
prove their claim of a firefight. The more important thing is to 
prove that the police operations related to the government's campaign 
against the illegal drugs trade were above board.
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