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The Murders of June
By Grace S. Uddin
davaotoday.com
Published: Jan. 28, 2006
DAVAO CITY -- The onset of the rainy season did not in any way douse the brewing Gloriagate scandal. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, one of the advisers of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the president should rather keep mum on issues about the jueteng and wiretapping scandals hounding her, saying these will not topple her government anyway.
Duterte believed that Arroyo did not order anyone to cheat in the 2004 elections and that it was just normal for politicians to monitor their votes, as Arroyo had claimed to try to explain her wiretapped conversation with an election official.
Duterte’s pronouncements supporting the president earned him criticisms from progressive organizations. Even the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Mindanao, through its spokesperson Ka Oris, called on the mayor and the political allies of Arroyo to turn their backs on the president.
Talk on the possible creation of a separate Mindanao republic were also rife this time last year.
Meanwhile, summary killings in the city were once again on the rise, making June perhaps one of the bloodiest months here in recent memory. Three separate incidents took place in a single day. One of the victims was playing cards with friends and another was watching a basketball game when the killings, allegedly by the nebulous Davao Death Squad, happened.
The month of June also recorded six people slain in a matter of three days. The commemoration of Independence day was marred by a series of vigilante killings. The victims were Roy Suan, 19, who was shot dead by an unknown assailant at Gate 6 of Ecoland Terminal. In the afternoon of the same day, two other persons were shot at Purok Lansones, barangayWines, Baguio District. Victims were identified as Renadale Fermisa and Elizabeth Guisihan. A few minutes later, another man was shot dead. Victim was identified Jeremhe Cartagena, of Calumpang, General Santos City. He was just having a walk along C.M. Recto Street when two unidentified persons approached him from behind and shot him.
Another victim was also identified as Quintin Descipolo, a 35-year-old beautician from Calinan. The victim was standing along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue when a man approached him and shot him three times. .
Angelo Hilardino, 18, and a laborer who was eating bread in Bankerohan were shot dead that same day.
On June 16, the 120th victim of the vigilantes was tallied. Arnold Dumaglas, a motorcycle driver, was shot to death by unidentified assailants in Porras St. Barrio Obrero, Davao City. The victim was sitting in one corner when killed.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency told the press that it was Johnson Chua and not Allan Sy who alleged financed illegal drug activities in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro. Wilkins Villanueva, PDEA regional director, said Sy was only the manager of drug operations but it was Chua who financed it. Chua was believed to be a member of an international drug syndicate.
As summary killings became rampant, so did illegal gambling. Even local chapters of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas revived its fight against illegal gambling. The group warned some of its members who air number tips and results. The group dared the local government and the city police to act firmly on the problem. The police, meanwhile, denied receiving bribe money from gambling lords. (Grace S. Uddin/davaotoday.com)
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