In a groundbreaking verdict, a Manila regional trial court has found four Philippine policemen guilty of killing a father and son during an anti-drug operation in 2016.
The rare case marks one of the few instances of law enforcement officers being prosecuted for participating in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war.
The four low-ranking officers, Virgilio Cervantes, Arnel de Guzman, Johnston Alacre, and Artemio Saguros, were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison each for the shooting deaths of Luis and Gabriel Domingo at a Manila slum.
The court found that the accused had participated in the police operation and did not deny their presence or involvement.
The victims’ family, including Luis’s partner Mary Ann Domingo, cried as they listened to the verdict, which also ordered the policemen to pay 300,000 pesos ($5,120) each in damages to the victim’s heirs.
The family alleged that more than a dozen police officers took part in the nighttime raid, which they claimed was illegal and resulted in the deaths of their unarmed loved ones.
The case is a rare example of accountability in the Philippines’ drug war, which has been widely criticized for resulting in thousands of extrajudicial killings.
According to official data, more than 6,000 people have died in police anti-narcotics operations. Human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands more have been killed by officers and vigilantes without proof of involvement in drugs.
Former President Duterte had openly encouraged police to shoot dead suspects during anti-drug operations if officers believed their lives were in danger. While only five other policemen have been convicted for killing drug suspects, this case marks a significant step towards accountability.
The International Criminal Court is investigating the Philippine drug war, which began during Duterte’s presidency.
However, President Ferdinand Marcos has refused to cooperate with the investigation, citing the country’s functioning judicial system.
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