CASES OF MISTAKEN IDENTITIES?

SINCE two young persons were killed by still unidentified suspects on the same day July 19, questions about the circumstances surround their deaths continue to baffle the police, the victims’ families and communities.

Roman Clifford Manaois, 20, of Barangay Carael, Dagupan City and companion Zaldy Abalos were shot dead by unidentified hitmen riding in tandem last July 19 while, Rowena Tiamson, 22, of San Carlos City was found dead, tied and her face wrapped in packaging tape, on a village road in Manaoag town.

Manaois’ relative, journalist Melandrew Velasco, maintained his grandson was not into drugs while Tiamson’s relatives and friends described her as an honor student and a member of the church choir and could not possibly been into drugs.

In both cases, a familiar cardboard with messages ”Hwag tularan… ako ay pusher” were found beside their bodies.

Both families have began to question the direction being taken by the government in the war against drugs, asserting that innocent lives are being taken recklessly, that their kin were killed because they were mistakenly tagged as drug pushers.

In the case of Manaois, Dagupan police chief P/Supt. Christopher Abrahano refuted earlier media reports that an autopsy found the victim to be negative of drug use.

The police chief said that contrary to the report, the family of Manaois refused to have their kin autopsied for investigation purposes by the police.

“So there’s no proof that he was not a drug user.” asserted Abrahano during his interview at the KBP Forum last week.

He said as far as the PNP is concerned, there is no record that proves Manaois was negative of drug use unless he said the family authorized an autopsy elsewhere that the police was not aware of.

At the same time, Abrahano pointed out that the brother of Manaois who is on the BADAC drug watch list as a drug personality already surrendered to the police.

He branded the case of Manaois as only being “romanticized in the social media,” but assured nonetheless that the investigation of the case continues.

Velasco wrote in his Facebook account: “How come innocent men like Oman (Roman’s nickname) are being summarily executed?”

Results of an autopsy on Roman’s remains showed he has not been using drugs, Velasco said.

P/Supt. Jackie Candelario, deputy provincial police chief of Pangasinan, said investigation of the two cases are ongoing. (With a report from Serene Susara)

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