Tokhang survivor wants dumping of bodies in Payatas probed

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has been asked to order the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the dumping of two bodies near the house of a survivor of Oplan Tokhang in Payatas, Quezon City.

Efren Morillo, the lone survivor in the police anti-drugs operation, and his parents Martino and Victoria Morillo, sought an investigation on the dumping of bodies near their house on March 12.

The bodies were reportedly found 10 days after Morillo filed charges of multiple murder, frustrated murder, robbery and planting of evidence as well as grave misconduct against Senior Inspector Emil Garcia, Police Officer 3 Allan Formilleza and Police Officers 1 James Aggarao and Melchor Navisaga, all members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

The petitioners urged the appellate court to order the QCPD Station 6 under Superintendent Lito Patay to conduct the probe to determine if the killings were not carried out by the policemen.

“The bodies appeared to be murder victims, who were killed elsewhere and dumped in the area,” read the manifestation filed before the CA on Monday.

“The incident caused fear to the petitioners,” it added.

The police officers were tagged in the killing of four men along Payatas Road in August last year.

Morillo had been granted temporary protection order and privileges of writ of amparo along with Marcelo Daa Jr., Raffy Gabo, Anthony Comendo and Jessie Cule, whose relatives were slain by police in an anti-narcotics operation last year.

Morillo also challenged the compliance of the PNP with the appellate court’s order last February to probe the policemen over the killings. 

Morillo claimed that Garcia, Formilleza, Aggarao and Navisaga were members of a Police Community Precinct that did not have operational jurisdiction over Barangay Payatas.

They allegedly fabricated the death certificates of the slain drug suspects to make it appear that the incident took place in another place.

According to the petition, the slain drug suspects were garbage collectors at the Payatas dump.