Invite to kill suspects draws probe

CEBU CITY—The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) office in Central Visayas is investigating, for the possible filing of criminal charges, the spate of shooting of crime suspects in this city that followed an offer by Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña to reward police officers who kill criminals P50,000 for each dead suspect and P5,000 for each wounded suspect.

Lawyer Arvin Odron, CHR Central Visayas director, said the agency would determine if the shooting of the crime suspects was justifiable in the wake of Osmeña’s announcement of the reward system.

“If the police killed someone, it is our mandate to investigate the totality of the facts to determine if they followed proper procedures because, under the law, they are obligated to protect human rights,” said Odron.

Odron is referring to the death of Teodoro “Doroy” Cabriana, who was killed in a supposed clash with members of the city police’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force (CAIDSOTF) during a raid in Barangay Sudlon 2 in this city on Thursday.

The police said they seized P1.2 million worth of shabu and a .45-cal. pistol from Cabriana.

Odron said if the investigation showed that there was excessive use of force, the agency would recommend to the Department of Justice that charges be filed against those responsible for the killing.

The camp of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has announced that Duterte would appoint his classmate in law school, lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre, as secretary of justice. Among Aguirre’s high profile clients is Hubert Webb, who has been charged with but later acquitted of the Vizconde massacre.

Osmeña, who is replacing his wife Margarita, currently acting mayor, said he had yet to decide if a P50,000 cash reward would be given to the CAIDSOTF team that killed Cabriana, a suspected drug pusher.

But the incoming mayor handed a P20,000 cash reward to PO3 Julius Regis, who shot and wounded two men who robbed the passengers of a public utility jeepney.

The policeman was supposed to get P10,000 but the incoming mayor decided to double the amount because Regis was off duty when he chased the robbers upon noticing the commotion inside the jeepney.

Osmeña said anyone could avail of the reward money as long as the criminal was killed legally.

The incentive scheme has alarmed the regional office of the CHR because it could be subject to abuse by law enforcers.

Osmeña, however, lashed back at the CHR regional office, saying the agency was protecting criminals.

He said the cash reward would be only for those who would kill or injure a criminal through legal means.

He claimed that his announcement had produced results, citing the killing of Cabriana on Thursday.

While it was Osmeña’s prerogative to offer rewards in the anticrime campaign, Odron said this might be abused by law enforcers.

He said his office would monitor the city police’s campaign against crime and watch out for extrajudicial killings.

Odron said law enforcers, or anyone, found violating the law against killings would be dealt with as he pointed out that policemen also had an obligation to protect human rights, including those of crime suspects.