In the past few months, the Philippines has encountered different issues—politics, economics, disasters, and more.
It was not an easy year for everyone, especially for the families who have suffered pain.
DZRH News fiercely told their stories to the public on-air and online.
As such, this article will bring you back to the most controversial crimes that brought mixed emotions to the listeners, viewers, and readers, giving you a list of killing incidents in the Philippines that took the lives of innocent people this year.
Killing of Negros Oriental governor
Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo was killed after a group, clad in police uniforms and full gear, suddenly arrived and fired shots inside his residential compound in Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona, on Saturday morning, March 4.
The incident happened at around 9:30 in the morning while Degamo was accommodating beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and other victims who were present during that time got wounded and immediately rushed to the hospital.
With his death, the governor’s bereaved family demanded justice for his passing.
The victim’s wife, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, calling out the national government through a posted video, hoping that it would assist them.
With former governor Degamo’s death, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned such killings and vowed to provide justice and make sure that the assassins would be put behind bars, mentioning that the government would not stop until the criminals were arrested.
He also warned the people behind the heinous crime, telling them to surrender as they could not hide despite running away from it.
Apart from Marcos, other top government officials namely Department of Justice Secretary Boying Remulla, Senator Bong Revilla, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo, among others also condemned the killing of the former governor.
The President ordered the Department of National Defense (DND) to create a joint task force to apprehend the remaining suspects responsible for the assassination, which was composed of two brigades and six battalions joining the operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
As the investigation went on, the police said that the possible motive behind the murder may involve politics.
On March 10, the National Bureau of Investigation said that one of the arrested suspects revealed that Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. was one of the masterminds behind the brutal killing.
The suspect said that they were initially hired as VIP security personnel and had no idea about killing Degamo.
Meanwhile, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) directed the arrest of Teves over the murder charges he is facing in relation to killing Degamo.
Ambush on journalists
This year is also considered to be a gruesome year for broadcast journalists.
In May 2023, the Philippine National Police (PNP) released a statement that a radio broadcaster was shot dead in Oriental Mindoro by two unidentified individuals riding a motorcycle at approximately 4:20 a.m.
The victim, named Cresencio Aldovino Bonduquin, died from several gunshots while he was standing in front of a convenience store.
Fortunately, one of the suspects who was driving the getaway motorcycle was accidentally hit by Bonduquin’s son; however, the other suspects fled when the son was chasing after them.
The following month, a photojournalist and his three family members were injured after being involved in a shooting incident in Brooklyn. Masambong, Quezon City.
According to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), the victim, identified as Joshua Abiad, was reportedly seen outside their house with his family when the two suspects riding a silver Toyota Vios fired shots at them at around 3:50 p.m.
Abiad sustained two gunshot wounds in his body. However, his four-year-old nephew died a few days after the ambush.
On November 5, a shocking incident was witnessed online as a radio broadcaster from Misamis Occidental was shot dead by an unknown suspect during his live radio program on Facebook.
The radio anchor, Juan Jumalon, was in the middle of an on-air program when an unnamed suspect suddenly entered his booth and fired a gun at him.
With the killings, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the death of the radio broadcaster, saying that such killings of journalists have no place in a democratic country.
He directed the Philippine National Police to conduct an in-depth probe into the crime to arrest the suspect and hold him accountable.
Hazing incidents
One of the most devastating incidents that happened in 2023 was hazing, taking two innocent lives away from their families and crashing their dreams in an instant.
Earlier this year, a third-year chemical engineering student was reported missing but was found dead in Imus City, Cavite.
The victim recognized as John Matthew Salilig was found buried at a vacant lot in a subdivision in Malagasang II, Imus Cavite, after a witness unexpectedly found his body.
Despite being unrecognizable as the body was already decomposing, Salilig’s brother strongly confirmed that the body found was his brother based on the victim’s physique.
In the initial reports, the chemical engineering student was allegedly a victim of fraternity hazing.
Another incident in which hazing was involved happened to a 25-year-old criminology student right after the fraternity’s initiation rights.
Aldhryn Bravante was rushed to a nearby hospital by the two alleged suspects and members of Tau Gamma Phi, while four suspects were sent to the Quezon City Police District for interrogation.
In the initial findings, Bravante was paddled, receiving 60 blows in his body from a total of allegedly 20 members of the fraternity.
Police involvement
As police officers are supposedly the ones Filipinos can depend on when it comes to security, ironically, some of them are the ones putting stains on the image, as they are also the ones leading the brutality.
Just like what happened to a teenager named Jemboy Baltazar, who was shot dead by six policemen after being mistakenly identified as the suspect they were chasing in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran at around 2:45 p.m.
As such, the Navotas City Police Station chief of police, PCol. Allan Umipig was relieved from his post in relation to Baltazar’s death for his failure to supervise the operation and the corresponding investigation.
Not only Umipig but also officer-in-charge Station Investigation and Detective Management Section (SIDMS) Juanito Arabejo and Chief of Clerk Aurelito Galvez, were removed from their positions due to simple neglect of duty.
After Baltazar’s death, another teenage slaying happened in the province of Rodriguez Rizal, which took place in front of the victim’s house.
A 15-year-old boy named Francis Ompad was fatally shot by an ununiformed police officer, as seen through CCTV footage that was retrieved and presented to DZRH News.
It was seen that the police officer identified as Arnulfo Sabillo was chasing Francis’ older brother, John Ace. He fired his gun and unfortunately hit the victim after opening the door.
John Francis was still rushed to the nearby hospital and was pronounced medically dead while undergoing medical treatment.
The poor boy was supposed to turn 10 and dreamt of becoming a cop someday, but his dream was crushed by an unexpected death.
Sabillo faced charges of homicide and attempted homicide, while the entire police force was relieved from the Community Police Assistance Center 5 in Rodriguez, Rizal.
Another crime involving police officers involved a beauty queen and Miss Grand Philippines 2023 candidate named Catherine Camilon, who went missing on October 12.
Her family called out to her through their social media pages, asking Camilon to come home as it had been days since she had gone home and did not give updates as the latter usually does.
Camilon was last seen at a petrol station in Bauan and was heading to a meeting in Batangas City when her family hadn't heard from her after their last conversation.
As the investigation continued, a police officer became a suspect in the teacher-beauty queen's disappearance and has been charged with kidnapping and illegal detention by the Philippine National Police and the Batangas prosecutors' office.
