Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Philippine Police Officer Found Guilty Of Murdering Teenagers As Part Of A Drug War

POSTED ON March 13, 2023 •   Judiciary      BY Akinbohun Samuel

In a rare conviction of one of the enforcers of the crackdown, a Filipino police officer was found responsible for the deaths of two teens during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, according to court documents released on Tuesday.

Duterte publicly instructed police to shoot drug suspects dead if their lives or the lives of other officers were in jeopardy during his six-year administration, which concluded in June 2022.

According to official statistics, 6,200 persons lost their lives due to the anti-drug campaign, but rights organizations believe the actual number to be in the tens of thousands.

Prior to the crackdown, only three police officers had been found guilty of killing a suspect. This led to an investigation at the International Criminal Court.

According to a judgment viewed by AFP, a Manila court found Jeffrey Perez guilty of killing Reynaldo De Guzman, 14, and Carl Arnaiz, 19, in 2017.

Perez received a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison.

He was previously incarcerated for a significant amount of time after being convicted in November for torturing the two youngsters by a different court.

Police officer Ricky Arquilita, his co-defendant, passed away during the initial trial. Both refuted the allegations.

On August 17, 2017, De Guzman and Arnaiz were last spotted together.

A witness testified during the trials that he observed a police car parked on the side of the road and saw Arnaiz exit the vehicle while shackled and yelling "I will surrender" before the cops shot him.

Weeks later, De Guzman's body was discovered in the area north of Manila.

After Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos promised to continue the drug battle but put an emphasis on education and treatment.

Yet, rights groups allege the killings have persisted under his watch.

Because its pre-trial chamber was "not persuaded that the Philippines is undertaking necessary investigations that would support a deferral of the court's investigations," the ICC said in January that it will reopen its inquiry into the drug war.

The ruling has been appealed by Manila.

READ ALSO
Senate approves new leadership for Law Reform commission
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The Senate has ratified the appointment of Professor Dakas C.J. Dakas as the Chairman of the Nigeria...

READ ALSO
To Achieve Economic Reform, Tinubu Must Embrace Governance Restructuring - Agbakoba
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 14, 2025 0

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has stated that Presiden...

READ ALSO
Court Orders El-Rufai to Compensate community Elders N900M for Illegal Detention
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 28, 2025 0

KADUNA, Nigeria - A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-R...

READ ALSO
House of Representatives Advances Bill to Make Voting Mandatory for Nigerians
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 15, 2025 0

Abuja, Nigeria- The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to am...

READ ALSO
Kogi State Commission Suspends Magistrate and Orders Judge’s Resignation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara May 9, 2025 0

KOGI, Nigeria -The Kogi State Judicial Commission, committed to eradicating unlawful practices withi...

READ ALSO
SERAP urges withdrawal of bill targeting Non-Voters in Nigeria
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara March 31, 2025 0

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has appealed to Senate President Godswi...

READ ALSO
Akwa Ibom Chief Judge releases 55 inmates amidst calls for improved Justice system
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara March 15, 2025 0

AKWA IBOM, Nigeria - The Chief Judge (CJ) of Akwa Ibom, Justice Ekaette Obot, has concluded a three-...

READ ALSO
Meranda charged with corruption after Obasa reinstallment
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara March 10, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria - The reinstated speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has filed c...

OUR CHANNELS:

Obama’s Debunk Report on Divorce
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have put to rest rumors regarding their m...


Bayelsa Govt. Cautions Principal Officers on Pension Delay
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Bayelsa State Government has cautioned principal officers of local government councils to avoid...


NLC Decries Nigeria's Poor Labor Rights Record as National Disgrace
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its worries about the nation's inadequate performanc...


Israeli Strike Hits Catholic Church in Gaza, Killing Two Civilians
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church resulted in the deaths of two individuals on Thu...


SSC Napoli Completes €25 Million Deal for Noa Lang from PSV
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Serie A champions Napoli confirmed on Thursday that they have signed Dutch forward Noa Lang from PSV...


Civil Defence Board Temporarily Closes Recruitment Portal for System Enhancements
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has temporarily closed its recr...


Nigeria Should Aim for 60,000 Megawatts of Power Generation- Dangote
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, argues that Nigeria's low electricity generati...


FG Denies Emergence of New Terrorist Groups Amid Turkish Warnings
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The Federal Government On Wednesday, stated that no new terrorist groups have emerged in the country...


151 Senior Police Officers Face Misconduct Hearings- NPF
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Nigeria Police Force has revealed that 151 senior officers are currently undergoing proceedings...


CPC Loyalists Face Uncertain Future Amid Buhari's Death, Tinubu's Leadership
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari has sparked renewed speculation regarding the polit...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu