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MANILA, Philippines – A vigilante said that the age of a target doesn’t matter when it comes to carrying out killing orders by higher-ups.
In the 5th of a 7-part Murder in Manila series, “I Finish the Job,” self-confessed vigilante Angel* from the Confederate Sentinels Group (CSG) Tondo Chapter 2 explained that their work “depends on the orders” of a certain Ricardo Villamonte, alias “Commander Maning.”
“Doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or an adult. That’s how it works,” he told Rappler. “If Maning says to kill you, because the police paid him, he’ll say, ‘Go, drop the guy, he’s pissed off a lot of people inside. Do it.’”
Alleged members of the CSG Tondo Chapter 2, in a 6-month investigation by Patricia Evangelista and Carlo Gabuco, said they were backed by local police and that Commander Maning often received orders from at least one official – Police Superintendent Robert Domingo of PS-1 Raxabago.
They also explained their murder methods, starting from when Commander Maning announces their new target. A group of at least 4 to 6 men would watch the target closely for days, and gather information about him or her from the neighborhood. When the target turns out to be “positive,” a team that will carry out the killing is selected.
The vigilantes sometimes use a van or a motorcycle with unregistered plates.
Angel, one of the vigilantes who talked to Rappler, said he’s called “the finisher” as he often fires the killing shot if the target survives the first few ones.
“I finish the job,” he claimed.
CSG Tondo Chapter 2, they said, was responsible for killing at least 20 people within the first 7 months of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Commander Maning, however, denied that his group was involved in vigilante killings, adding that they “are not doing anything. We help village officials.”
The police themselves accused CSG Tondo Chapter 2 of murder during a press conference in February 2017 in the aftermath of the death of 16-year-old Charlie Saladaga.
Angel, however, told Rappler it was impossible for the local police not to know the vigilante work of the group, adding that they “couldn’t have operated in that area if [the cops] didn’t know.”
READ MORE FROM THE MURDER IN MANILA SERIES:
PART 1: ‘Some People Need Killing’
PART 2: ‘The Cops Were Showing Off’
Part 3: ‘Get It From the Chief’
Part 4: ‘What Did the CSG Do Wrong?‘
Part 5: ‘I Finish the Job’
– Rappler.com
Editor’s Note:
All quotes in Filipino have been translated into English. At the sources’ request, Rappler has changed or withheld their names for their own safety.
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