‘Death squad’ kills mom of 2 kids

MANILA, Philippines — A 27-year-old single mother of two children was shot dead by motorcycle-riding assailants in Caloocan City Wednesday night, a year after her husband was killed and mutilated.

Jeniffer Taporada was walking along Peta street in Barangay 152 when she was shot in the head at around 6:50 p.m.

Also on Wednesday night, a still unidentified man was shot dead along Katarungan street in nearby Barangay 149 at around 11:45 p.m.

Closed-circuit television footage showed that the victim was shot after he gave his assailant a package, according to Caloocan police chief investigator Senior Inspector Felipe Fermin Jr.

Police said there is no evidence the killings are related.

Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David decried Jeniffer’s death in a Facebook post, recounting how the widow asked for his help for her daughter’s schooling after her husband was killed last year.

“I remember her clutching in her armpit the death certificate of her husband, who had also been killed by masked killers a year ago now. At that time she narrated how her husband’s body was mutilated by the killers. They gouged his eyes and cut off his private parts,” said David, also the vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“I remember how I squirmed and whispered to her to remind her daughter was listening. Now her two children are complete orphans,” he said.

Hired killers

Jeniffer’s mother Cecilia said her daughter had a clean record but her son-in-law was involved in illicit activities.

She blamed a death squad composed of a “fraternity” of hired killers roaming the streets of Bagong Barrio. She kept quiet when pressed for names.

“The ones who killed my daughter are dangerous. I will leave it up to God,” Cecilia, a single mother of eight, said in Filipino.

According to barangay kagawad Ronald Alforte, Jeniffer’s late husband was notorious in the area for drugs, carnapping and murder.

Bryan’s body was dumped in Bulacan, he said.

They left behind a 12-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy.

Fermin said they are looking into threats made by a man Jeniffer charged with rape.

A vocal critic of the brutal war on drugs, David asked for prayers.

“Please pray for us. I feel so sad that I am unable to protect my flock from wolves,” the bishop said.

CHR warns vs waivers

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday warned families of alleged victims of extrajudicial killings against signing waivers being circulated in communities.

The CHR said the waivers, supposedly being distributed by men in civilian clothes, did not come from the human rights body.

The CHR has constituted a task force to investigate alleged extrajudicial killings in connection with the government’s war against illegal drugs. – With Evelyn Macairan, Janvic Mateo