Cebu vigilantes claim 35th victim

CEBU — A suspected thief became the 35th victim of the so-called vigilantes here when he was shot dead in sitio Kaimbol, Barangay Tisay on Saturday evening.

Authorities identified the victim as Hugo Pilapil, who was killed by unidentified men while preparing food for supper outside the shanty of his aunt.

Pilapil’s face was almost shattered with multiple bullets that hit his head and left jaw, and the right part of his chest and back. He died on the spot.

Police could not yet confirm the identity of his killers but reports said there were two assailants. Investigators, however, did not want to speculate on anything and would rather conduct further investigation. Live ammunition and three spent shells of a caliber .45 pistol were recovered from the crime scene.

It could not be confirmed also whether Pilapil had been detained at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center like the 34 others who were killed before by the vigilantes but he was reportedly implicated in theft cases in the barangay.

Tisa Barangay Captain Eduardo Cabulao told The Freeman yesterday that the last time Pilapil appeared at the barangay hall was two weeks ago when he was accused of stealing a neighbor’s bicycle.

After the killing, Cabulao said he overheard talks at the crime scene that Pilapil allegedly stole a mobile phone owned by someone in Barangay Buhisan.

Police records have listed a total of 46 men, including Pilapil, who were gunned down allegedly by vigilantes since December. But further probe excluded 11 of them from the count as they were found to be slain due to personal grudge, mistaken identity, and shady dealings. Four of these 11 cases were also deemed solved after the filing of charges in court against the suspected killers.

The spate of vigilante-linked killings of men with criminal records has prompted the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to protest the matter as a violation of human rights. — Ryan Borinaga/Freeman News Service