Cordillera police chief issues shoot-to-kill order for IP group leader Bolinget

MANILA, Philippines — A shoot-to-kill order was issued against Cordillera Peoples Alliance Chairman Windel Bolinget, who is facing murder complaints, Cordillera police chief Rwin Pagkalinawan said Wednesday.

“Shoot to kill if nanlaban [if Bolinget will fight back],” said Pagkalinawan in a text message, reacting to the statement of the alliance, which is a group of indigenous communities in the Cordillera region.

The Cordillera indigenous community has denounced the order, alleging that the region’s police director “encourages violence and terrorism among the ranks of the police.”

“His brand of law enforcement is to ignore all ethics and standards of law enforcement, turning the men in uniform into executioners,” read the statement from Cordillera Peoples Alliance.

“This is shown in his violent eviction of a family in Taguig City earlier last year while brandishing a rifle, as clearly shown in a video, and now in his apparent intent to deny due process to a falsely accused civilian,” it added.

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The Philippine National Police is also “exhausting the nanlaban narrative to cover up the killings of innocent civilians,” said the alliance.

The Indigenous People’s Alliance also warned that they would hold the Duterte administration accountable if Bolinget were to be harmed by the shoot-to-kill order.