Andanar: Police vindicated in ‘Pieta’ case

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the identification of the suspected killer of Michael Siaron—the man in the Pieta-like photo—vindicated the members of the Philippine National Police who are being blamed for drug-related deaths. 

“In the case of Siaron, it appears that drug traders killed one another and conveniently pinned the blame on the president’s war on illegal drugs,” Andanar said in a statement on Tuesday.

Andanar lamented that they have been battling misinformation, which claimed that policemen are "merciless killers" and that thousands of extrajudicial killings were perpetrated by the administration.

“While the police have declared the case closed, we expect that those opposed to the war on illegal drugs will continue their misinformation campaign. However, this time around, we expect less and less people will listen,” Andanar said.

The authorities have identified Siaron’s suspected killer as Nesty Santiago after the suspect’s gun matched with the bullet recovered at the scene of Siaron’s killings.

Malacañang on Saturday said the “real” assailant behind the slay of Siaron was a member of a drug syndicate.

“The Siaron case verifies what government has said from the start of the campaign against illegal drugs—many of these killings were perpetrated by those involved in drug operations as well; drug traffickers and pushers eliminating each other,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said. 

READ: Palace: Killer of Michael Siaron a drug syndicate member

Echoing Abella, Andanar said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs “has been maligned by those who, in one way or the other, profit from the trade of illegal drugs.”

Pieta

At about 12:45 a.m. on July 23, 2016, Siaron was walking along EDSA near the Rotonda in Pasay City when he was shot by two unidentified men riding tandem on a motorcycle.

Police said Siaron, allegedly a drug pusher, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body. The suspects who were both wearing full-face helmets, sped away toward EDSA after the shooting.

Taken by photojournalist Raffy Lerma, the image drew flak on social media as it depicted the sculpture of Michelangelo’s Pieta where Mary was carrying the body of Jesus Christ. Some netizens said the photo was staged.

Duterte, who won the presidency last year on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs, has stoked international alarm for activating his fierce anti-drug campaign.

According to the latest statistics released by the PNP, there have been 6,225 drug-related deaths since July 2016.

The PNP said 3,850 have "died in police operations," suggesting these are drug suspects who engaged arresting officers in shootouts.

However, human rights groups estimate a higher death toll, with some approximations going as high as 13,000 individuals killed in the course of the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.