Lawyers slam ‘abuse’ of warrants

But Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police, on Tuesday said the warrants from the different courts were “in strict compliance with standard legal procedures.”

‘Based on verified facts’

“It was based on verified facts and not on mere membership or affiliation with any organization (of those who were targeted),” Usana said.

According to documents provided by Karapatan, Dela Rosa issued at least three warrants allowing police to search the homes of BayanCavite spokesperson Emmanuel Asuncion, Bayan-Laguna spokesperson Elizabeth Camoral and labor leader Esteban Mendoza.

Asuncion was killed at his home office in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, about an hour away from his main residence in Rosario where raiders said they found a .45-caliber pistol.

Camoral and Mendoza were arrested for alleged possession of one hand grenade.

Dela Rosa also issued a warrant used in the December police operation on Panay Island that led to the killing of nine members of the Tumandok indigenous community which opposed a dam project.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said the police “can now simply allege that they are in possession of such [weapons] and that would be enough for the judge to issue a warrant against you.”

‘We’re human, too’

An activist who was staying with Asuncion and his wife, Liezel, said he heard the Bayan spokesperson shout, “We’re human, too” moments before he heard multiple gunshots.

The 27-year-old activist, who requested not to be identified for his safety, said loud knocks woke them up around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

“When I went down to get my phone, the police were already inside,” he told the Inquirer by phone.

He said he repeatedly asked to see the warrant but the officers refused. After a few minutes, several of them led him out of the house, followed by Liezel shortly after.

“(Liezel) kept telling them to bring Kuya Manny outside because he’d oblige [to an arrest] anyway. Then I heard Kuya Manny shout something, ‘We’re human, too’ before the shots rang out from the second floor. I don’t recall anymore how many [shots] but there were a lot,” the activist said.

He said officers later told Liezel to sign a blank evidence report, “which meant they didn’t find anything” at the

Dasmariñas home office where their search warrant was for a hand grenade.

Sunday’s raid in Dasmariñas was one of the 24 separately carried out raids across Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal by the police.

Activists of varied causes

On Tuesday, Karapatan identified four of the nine who were killed—brothers Abner and Edward Esto, members of an urban poor group in Rodriguez, Rizal; and cousins Puroy and Randy dela Cruz, members of the Dumagat indigenous people in Tanay, Rizal, and the environmental group Protect Sierra Madre.

“There is no other way to describe this: It was a massacre,” Robredo said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We call for an independent and impartial investigation [into the raids] to ensure that the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” she added.

But presidential spokesperson Harry Roque chided Robredo for making such allegations.

“If she personally saw the events, she should provide evidence. By her words, it’s as if she saw with her own two eyes what had happened. If she can’t provide evidence, it’s an offense, she could be sued,” Roque said.