And I thought I’d never see the day. It seems that the DOJ (Department of Justice) has done something right for once, by throwing the book at those trigger-happy cops whose unwarranted use of deadly force caused the death of, among others, an innocent man and his 7 year-old daughter in late 2008.
In any police operation, the safety of the innocent civilians always take precedence over that of the objective. The BS about confusion setting in during gun battles hence, the collateral damage, is just that… Bull S**t.
Even in the heat of battle, law enforcement operatives must be able to distinguish between the good guys and the bad. After all, that “S” in SAF (Special Action Force) stands for “special”, which means that whoever wears a vest with those three letters emblazoned on it, is trained specifically for this type of operation.
Chilling account by witnesses of how the so-called special cops followed the wounded victim — who, at the time, was trying to take his wounded daughter to safety — and shot him in the head without even trying to identify him, clearly shows the lapse in operational procedure… as well as the psychological make-up of our men in uniform.
It is obvious that the cops were clearly in control of the situation, and just as well, out of control themselves.
I guess this gives an entire new meaning to that phrase: “Kill them all and let God sort them out“, huh?
“there was no direct aggression foisted on them, and without first ascertaining their identities, as a consequence of which Lia died, and for shooting an unarmed defenseless and unarmed civilian in the person of Jun de Vera, who merely tried to secure Lia to a safe place, respondents from the SAF and HPG are liable for murder, qualified by the abuse of superior strength,” – State Prosecutor Stewart Allan Mariano
Well said, but I am not about to pop the cork out of the champagne bottle yet. At least not until each and every one of those killers-in-uniform are safely behind bars, among the the most hardened criminals on earth.
Unfortunately, given that cops take care of their own (as shown by their contempt and continued non-appearance in court), I won’t be surprised if they get an out-of-jail pass, and see them out on the street armed to the teeth and itching for the next operation.
we have a process where if a civilian is seriously injured or killed arising from the action of Police authorities, the civilian Special Investigation Unit will immediately take over the case. but even that one was found out to be biased towards the cops as the result of the Public Inquiry just concluded and an overhaul was just implemented. But one thing for sure, every Victim of Police actions arising to fatalities always resulted in inquiry and if found justified, the families of the victim in almost 100 % of the cases won their civil suits in millions in damages. It is rare, but to leave the family in destitute after victimized is just not right.
I hope that aside from criminal Liability, the family of the victims should also be compensated reasonably.
It is election time right now so look for some surprises in the way this case will be handled. Someone or some people will go to jail but once the election is over, these trigger happy policemen will likely roam the streets again and worse, get their badges back. This kid of crime is so UNTHINKABLE, that police kill those they are asked to protect. Frankly, the the killer deserves to be hanged for such a heinous crime 😦
Vic> While there may be murder charges being filed against them, imprisoning them and asking them to indemnify the victims’ families is something that is yet to happen. This case could still drag on for years, given the state of our justice system.
BW> Ay, don’t we all wish for the perpetrators be given their comeuppance for that murderous rampage? But you’re right, there is that possibility that some, if not all of them, will receive kid’s glove punishment. Things would be different though, if the victim or his family has clout…
Noypi democracy to me is always: two wolves and a deer voting as to what’s for dinner tonight.
Rich and powerful will always be atop, quite a sad status quo.
TruBlue> And it’s a status that has never changed, not since Rizals’ time.