Image capture from N5E video via Facebook - A scholarship foundation defends criminology student who was killed in an alleged ‘buy-bust’ operation
- The foundation said the ‘innocent’ victim was killed “unjustly” by police
- They also called for an investigation into the case
Image capture of KEOFI Facebook post
MANILA, Philippines – A scholarship foundation in Manila has taken to social media to defend one of its beneficiaries – a criminology student who was killed in an alleged buy-bust operation conducted by police in Sta. Ana, Manila early morning Tuesday, July 19.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, KAIBIGAN ERMITA OUTREACH FOUNDATION, INC. (KEOFI) condemned the killing of Jefferson Bunuan, a 20-year-old student who dreamed to be a cop in the future, and who is being supported by the foundation in his studies.
Bunuan was killed along with his 18-year-old cousin Mark Anthony Bunuan and Jomar “Totong” Manaois; the real target of the police operation.
The victims were killed in a shootout with the police operatives inside Manaois’ home, said Manila Police District Station 6 chief Police Superintendent Robert Domingo who claimed the Bunuan cousins could be ‘runners’ employed by the suspected drug pusher.
However, the KEOFI, as with the Jefferson’s sister, Lovely Bunuan, disputed Domingo’s allegation.
A shy, diligent student
The foundation described “Jeff”, who was orphaned at an early age, as a diligent student who would sometimes go to school even without an ‘allowance’.
“As a kid, he was very shy, but he participated actively in different activities of the foundation. Despite of financial difficulty, he managed to graduate in elementary and high school,” the post read.
Aside from taking BS Criminology in Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) as a freshman, Bunuan supposedly was also a volunteer of Lambat Sibat; a program of the Philippine National Police (PNP) which aims to prevent crimes in the country.
Sleeping over
Citing Lovely’s recollection of the event that night, KEOFI said the police conducted the operation around 10 pm in the area, “when in fact, they were waiting for Totong (Manaois) to go home for them to catch-on-act the suspected buy-bust operation.”
“Unfortunately, Jeff and Mark were sleeping in Totong’s house that time. It is because there was no space in their house since Jeff’s sister just gave birth,” the post narrated.
Hours later the relatives saw Jeff and Mark Anthony’s dead bodies, despite assurance from police that everything went fine.
Disputing police account of the crime scene
KEOFI also questioned the police account of the shootout and the description of the crime scene.
Again, citing Lovely’s recollection, the foundation insisted that the Bunuan cousins were sleeping during the shooting and that it was only Manaois who was awake.
Manaois allegedly voluntarily surrendered to the police and asked the authorities to spare his two friends inside.
There were also three girls inside Manaois’ house before the shootout but all were asked to leave for investigation outside.
“The three men were left inside the house as the policemen entered and in just few seconds later, they heard Totong surrendering, followed by 7 gunshots,” said KEOFI.
“The dead body position of Totong signifies that he may have fell down backward when he was shot from surrendering position. This is all contradicting to the statements of the policemen that the group initiated the gunfight and a buy-bust operation was happening,” it added.
The group then calls for an investigation into the “unjust” killing of Jeff Bunuan and his cousin; seeking justice for the ‘innocent’ victims and invoking violation of their human rights.
Read the full post HERE.
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