ffiih.rs Insight I
d"v, rurv ro,zorg
House urged: Probe death
of kid in Rizal buy-bust ops
EY WENDELL VIGILIA
Lerr-r-s,A.NiNc Makabayan
lawmakets waflt the House of
Representadves to look into the
deatll of *Lree-year old Kateleen
r\lyca Ulpira, rvho was caught il a
crossfire during a buy-bust oPeta-
tion in Rodtiguez, Rizal iast month.
Reps. Arlene Btosas (PL Ga-
briela); Carlos Zarate, Fetdinar'd
Gaite, Eufemia Cullamat Bayan
€L
\{una); Ftance Castro (PL ACT);
and Sarah Jane Elago (PL l{abata-
arr) co-authored House Resolution
No, 41 urging the House commit-
tee on human tiglrts to conduct an
inquily into the iflcident.
"The death of Kateleen MYca
Ulpina is the latest addition to the
list of or.et one hundted minors
Hlled in the Duterte administa
don's anti-iilegal dtugs campaign,"
ffi*ws : w"dn".
B3
dre lawmakets said.
They said Myca's nother had
already beLied claims made bY the
police that the litde gid s'as used
as a human shield by his &ug sus-
pect father Renato, nattating that
police broke ir and smashed their
windows while they rvere sleeping
even without a wartant of arrest
or any lega.l documents.
The group of lawmakers, citing
data from the PNI said at least
29,000 cases of kiilings classified as
dea*rs undet inquiry have been rc-
corded nationwide since President
Duterte launched his ctackdorvn
on illegal drugs ir.r 2016
"There has been a sutge of
killings nationwide of susPected
criminals, mosdy identi6ed by the
police as suspected drug dealets,
pushets, br even mere usets, but
targeting impovedshed areas and
u PaQt - Bsa
have victimized mosdy the youdr,"
the resolution said.
The tesolutioo said the dtug
war "has impaired the future of
thousands of Filipino children
rvho cor*iru:e to grapple with rhe
psychological, emotional, social
and economic impact of dre kill-
ings of their loved ones, andwotse,
Filipino children themselves being
the casualties of police oPeta-
tions."
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde
eadier ordeted the telief of the
police chief of Rodriguez, Rizal
and 20 of his men to pave the way
for an impartial insestigat.ion into
Mycah death.
Ll Col. Resq- Damaso and his
men involved in t}te opention were
teassigned to the prorincial hold-
ing and adniinistratir-e unit u'bile
investigation is ongoirg
Senior Mastet Sgt. Contado
CabigaoJr., who acted as a Poseur
buyer, rvas killed in the opetation
aftet one of Renato's cohotts,tec-
ognized him as an undetcover coP
and shot him.
Cabigao's colleagues resPonded,
ttiggering a gun battle that led
to the death of Renato and hls
cohort.
Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, who
was the frrst PNP chief to lead
Duterte's rvat on dtugs, has dis-
missed the death of Myca as "col-
lateral damage" and maintained
that cops were only Protecting
themselves ftom getting shot.
"\We ate living in an imperfect
wodd. Would a Police oT6cer want
to shoot a child? Nevet, because
thev have children as well But
.hii h^pp"n. during oPerations,"
he said.