Pubdate: Fri, 15 Jul 2016
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073
Authors: Leo Udtohan and Rachel Arnaiz

BOHOL, SAMAR CASES ILLUSTRATE BRUTALITY OF CAMPAIGN VS DRUGS

CLARIN, Bohol-Alma Arcales Sabejon, 42, tried to flee her assailants, 
wounded in the initial volley of fire. Desperate, she pleaded for 
help to bus passengers who could just watch as the gunmen ran after 
her and finished her off with a shot in the head.

Ariel Pitong Unay was in his hotel room when policemen came knocking 
at 4:30 a.m. Minutes later, he lay dead in the bed with multiple 
gunshot wounds.

Theirs is the latest in a string of killings being attributed to the 
heightened war on drugs launched by the Duterte administration.

Their cases also define the brutality with which the war is being 
waged and which had drawn statements of concern from human rights 
advocates and government officials who support the war but are 
shocked by how it is being waged.

Sabejon, also known in police blotters by her alias "Madame," has 
been tagged as a top drug financier in Bohol province.

Unay is a former soldier who, police said, supplies drugs to pushers 
in the province of Northern Samar, one of the country's poorest.

The circumstances that led to their deaths are all too familiar, 
although taking place in different settings with what appeared to be 
different scripts.

Sabejon was on her motorcycle heading for the village of Bacani in 
the town of Clarin, Bohol, when she was chased by two men on another 
motorcycle.

One of the men shot Sabejon, causing her motorcycle to crash and 
sending her sprawling on the pavement. The man who shot her calmly 
approached Sabejon and continued to pull the trigger.

Although wounded, Sabejon ran to a bus, which was unloading 
passengers, to plead for help.

The two men went after her and shot her in the head, sending her 
slumping lifeless on the floor of the bus to the horror of passengers on board.

PO3 Roderick Maglangit, Clarin police investigator, said Sabejon is 
on the list of top 10 drug personalities in the town.

Sabejon, according to Maglangit, refused to heed an appeal, made by 
Bacani village chair Victor Sanchez and Clarin police chief Insp. 
Fernando Peroramas, for her to surrender through the Oplan Tokhang 
(knock and plead) campaign of the Philippine National Police.

Asurrender ceremonywas held on July 8. Sabejon was absent.

Unay was at Johnjohn Hotel in Catarman City, Northern Samar, when 
police set him up for a buy-bust operation.

An undercover policeman was supposed to buy shabu from Unay in Room 
202 when Unay, according to Supt. Alberto Garcia, Catarman police 
chief, sensed he was being set up and started shooting.

Policemen knocked on the door but Unay, said Garcia, "immediately 
fired upon us." "So we fought back," Garcia said.

Forensics examiners said they recovered shabu, P8,000 in cash, 
illegal drug paraphernalia and two guns in Unay's room.

The war on drugs is taking its toll also on individuals who had 
become paranoid about being the next target.

This is apparently the case of a 27-year-old construction worker who 
surrendered and admitted killing a couple he suspected of wrongly 
identifying him to police as a drug user.

Eduardo Ardiente is now detained at the Cebu City police stockade 
pending the filing of two counts of murder and a count of frustrated 
murder against him.

Supt. Michael Bastes, head of the Cebu City police intelligence 
branch, said the knife used by Ardiente to kill couple Ricardo and 
Francisca Cupta and wound a neighbor, Cyric Balolot, had been found.

"I had enough," said Ardiente. "Everyday they kept telling me 'you 
surrender to authorities,'" he said.

Ardiente said the Cupta couple and Balolot kept accusing him of using 
drugs and stealing.

He said he stopped using drugs in 2010. "I drink and I smoke but I 
don't use drugs anymore," he said.

With a report from Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Inquirer Visayas
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom