The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started looking into reports that while the death certificates of several persons killed during illegal drugs war indicated they “died of natural causes,” autopsy reports stated that some of them may have “died violently like due to gunshot wounds.”
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said: “Pinag-aaralan na po ng NBI ‘yung mga nakuha naming mga papeles saka findings (The NBI is now studying the documents it has received, including the findings).”
Remulla said the remains of the nine persons have been autopsied through the help of forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, chairperson of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila Department of Pathology, and Fr. Flavie Villanueva who runs a support group for victims in the drugs war during the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
He said the autopsies were requested by the families of those who died and thus exhumation of the remains was done.
“Nakalagay cause of death ay natural cause pero may gunshot wounds nakita sa autopsy na kinonduct (The death certificates showed cause of death was natural cause, but the autopsies conducted showed that they have gunshot wounds),” Remulla said.
“We will pursue those who have violated the law. Hindi pwedeng i-tolerate (This cannot be tolerated),” he pointed out.
Earlier, published reports stated that the Court of Appeals has granted the plea of a father whose minor child died during an illegal drugs operation to correct his son’s death certificate.
The father told the court that his son died in a shooting incident in Caloocan City in December 2016 during an illegal drugs operation but the death certificate stated that the cause of death was “bronchopneumonia.”
The father’s request to correct his son’s death certificate was rejected by the trial court. He appealed to the CA which ordered the local civil registrar to change the cause of his son’s death to “gunshot wound.”
TAGS: #Death Certificates in illegal drugs war #DOJ #Remulla