NOTORIOUS 'DEATH SQUAD' KILLS 3 IN A DAY

DAVAO CITY -- Summary killings in Davao City are not only continuing,
they are accelerating with three people, including a woman, being shot
dead by unknown assailants within an eight-hour period Wednesday.

The spate of killings jacks up the number of summary execution victims
since January this year to 48.

First to fall were Emilio Verano, 54, carpenter, of Purok 2 in
Barangay 76-A, Quezon Boulevard, and Arlene Abellana, 32, housewife,
resident of Bayco in Bankerohan.

Verano and Abellana were reportedly playing mahjong at around 12:15
a.m. Wednesday when they were gunned down.

A few hours later, a man who had just brought his children to school
was shot dead by one of three men in a motorcycle around 7:30 a.m.

Sta. Ana Police precinct investigator Eleazar Gador said the two
persons killed first were playing mahjong with two other men inside
the house of a certain Bobby Antolin. A certain Evelyn Taladua was
renting the house.

Evelyn, who maintains mahjong gaming in the area, said she was
sleeping at a bench near the mahjong table when she was awakened by
gunshots.

"Nakamata ko pagkadungog nako og buto sa pusil pero wala na nako
nakita ang nagpusil," Evelyn told police. (I was awakened when a heard
gunshot, but I did not see the suspect.)

Evelyn claimed she then saw a bloodied Verano slumped on his chair
while Abellana was sprawled on the floor near the door.

Verano succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his
body while Abellana was hit in her left breast and upper right arm.

The Scene of the Crime and Operations (Soco) team recovered five empty
shells of caliber 9 mm and one empty shell and two slugs of caliber
.45 pistol at the crime scene.

Chief Inspector Filmore Escobal, head of the Sta. Ana Police precinct,
said the victims were known drug pushers.

"May mga records yan eh. May detainee kami na nahuli last week, kilala
nya daw yung dalawa," Escobal said. (They have records for drug
pushing. We have a detainee arrested last week who knew them.)

It was learned that the detainee is Magdalena Taladua, sister of
Evelyn.

Magdalena was arrested for alleged involvement in illegal drugs by the
elements of the Sta. Ana police in Purok 2, Barangay 76-A, Quezon Boulevard.

"Kanang lalake, taga-diha na siya, pero kanang babae, taga-Bankerohan,
naga-adto na siya diha sauna pa. Apil man pud na sila og dula anang
drugs," Magdalena reportedly said. (The man was a resident of the
place, but the woman was from Bankerohan. She always goes there. They
were also involved in drug activities.)

Another man just coming from his children's school was shot dead near
Nova Tierra Village in Bo. Pampanga, Lanang, still in this city, early
morning Wednesday.

Rey Morales, 35, father of three, self-employed, a resident of Purok
2, Lizada Village, Bo. Pampanga, was on his Honda motorcycle and
heading for home when approached by the three assailants.

One of them allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Morales several times
in the head and other parts of the body before speeding away.

A traffic police called for police assistance. Morales was declared
dead on the spot by the responding policemen.

Police recovered four empty shells and a slug of caliber .38 revolver
at the crime scene.

"Ang iyang panganay, otso anyos pa, ang kinamanghuran wala pa
naga-eskwela," the victim's neighbor said. (His eldest child is 8
years old, while his youngest is not of school age.)

Morales and his wife Juliet own a videoke pub and billiard hall in Bo.
Pampanga.

"Wala man na siya'y trabaho pero naa na sila'y bilyaran og videokehan
sa iyang asawa," the victim's neighbor said. (He's not employed but he
and his wife operate a videoke and a billiard parlor.)

Juliet, the victim's wife, said her husband was not involved in
illegal activities.

"Wala gyud na siya anang drugs, wala. Magsige ra gani na siya og
tambay sa balay, kabalo among mga silingan ana," Juliet said. (He was
never involved in drugs. He only stays at the house most of the time
and our neighbors know that.)

"Kung kinsa man ang naghimo ani, unta malipay na sila kay wala na gyud
hustisya makuha akong bana," Juliet said. (Whoever did this, they
should be happy now because I expect no justice for my husband.)

An identification card recovered from the victim's pocket showed he
was a civilian asset of the defunct Narcotics Command, now the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

"Civilian asset siya sa Narcom sa una, through sa ID na among nakuha.
Ang ginahuna-huna namo karon, basi nakadasmag na og dako nga sindikato
unya nagpabugnaw lang kadali, karon na gibirahan (He was a civilian
asset of Narcom before. We are thinking that he might have offended a
big syndicate before and it's only now that the group has taken action
against him)," said Sasa Police precinct investigator Alfredo Heliane.

The police are now conducting a follow investigation of the incidents.