Bonnets keep police in the dark

43 SHOOTINGS IN 2 CITIES

SINCE the intensified campaign against illegal drugs started last July 1, at least 43 persons have been shot by unidentified attackers in the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.

Police are finding it tough to identify the culprits because nearly all of the attackers used beanies, ski masks or helmets to cover their faces.

The police refer to these covers as “bonnets.”

Senior Supt. Roberto Alanas, director of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said his operatives have documented cases where the attackers hid their faces with stockings.

The MCPO has listed 25 shooting cases as “deaths under investigation” (DUI) from July 1 to Dec. 1.

All the victims were suspected of being drug pushers or users, but not everyone got attacked in connection with illegal drugs.

In Lapu-Lapu, at least 18 persons suspected of being drug pushers or users were shot by unidentified attackers who covered their faces, as of Dec. 3.

Senior Supt. Rommel Cabagnot, director of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Of-

Bonnets keep police in the dark fice (LCPO), said one of the victims died after he was robbed. The rest of the cases were all related to illegal drugs.

“Ni usa sa pamilya sa biktima wala’y nag- file og complaint. Sa analysis nako tanggap gyud nila nga involved sa drugs (Not a single family of the shooting victims has filed a complaint. I believe they accepted that their slain family member was really involved in illegal drugs),” Cabagnot said.

Cameras

In Mandaue’s case, Alanas explained that investigators have had to rely on witnesses’ statements, as well as slugs and ammunition found in the crime scene, in their attempt to search for the shooters.

The ammos give the police a chance to trace the gun used, but only if it was licensed.

“That is why I encourage ang mga tao na magkabit ng (people to install) CCTV cameras,” said Alanas. Closed-circuit TV camera (CCTV) footage has helped the police identify culprits in other cases.

Of the 25 DUIs in Mandaue, Alanas said that four suspects have been identified and charged with murder.

Not all were killed because of their alleged involvement in illegal drugs. One case was triggered by jealousy, Alanas said. Another involved a love triangle.

Ready

At least 17 suspected drug personalities were shot in MCPO operations as of Dec. 1. In police records, they are listed as having been “killed in action.”

The suspects of the DUI cases in Lapu-Lapu also concealed their faces with a ski cap or a helmet.

The LCPO recorded seven drug personalities who were shot during buybust operations because they used their guns to resist arrest.

“instruction pag di mosukol, way armas, dakpon lang og klaro. Basta mosukol siguradoa pangandam kay sa kita’y magkaproblema (My instruction to my police officers is to arrest persons if the suspects don’t fight back and are not armed. But if the suspect has a gun, I told them to make sure that they are ready. It’s better if we don’t create problems for ourselves),” Cabagnot said. FMG