3-Year-Old’s Death In Duterte's Drug War: 40 Philippine Cops Sued

The mother of 3-year-old Myca Ulpina, who was killed in June, has filed cases against 40 members of the police force whom she holds accountable for the child’s death. Myca was killed by a bullet to her neck when police fired shots at her father, Renato "Kato" Ulpina, during an attempted drug bust. A police chief and 39 others are facing charges of murder and obstruction of justice.

Former Philippine National Police chief and now Senator, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, remarked that while Myca’s death was unfortunate, “s--t happens”, a comment not likely to sit well with relatives of the people killed in this unfortunate incident.

According to investigators, the incident began about 7:40 a.m. on June 29 along Pines Street in Metro Manila Hills Subdivision, Barangay, San Jose. Police Senior Master Sergeant Conrado Cabigao went undercover to make a drug transaction as part of a “buy-bust” operation. The targets of the planned bust were Renato and another man later identified as Enrique Cawilig. Things went awry when the Cawilig recognized Cabigao as a cop.

The police investigators said the two suspects went for their guns setting off a shootout. It was at this point that Renato picked up the three-year-old girl and used her as a human shield as he tried to flee the scene. Police gunfire killed Renato, but one bullet struck the child in the neck.

Cawilig was also killed at the scene and Cabigao was also shot. He and the child were rushed to the hospital where the policeman was declared dead on arrival. Myca died the next day.

Myca’s mother, who is using the alias “Tess” for security purposes, told reporters, “I hope Myca is the last victim of this drug war. She was only 3 years old; she was very young.”

The drug war she is referring to is President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs that has resulted in thousands of deaths of “drug personalities” since 2016 when Duterte was elected.

The war on drugs has been highly criticized for the over-zealous tactics used by police and evidence of corruption among the police themselves. General Oscar Albayalde, the Philippines' top police officer stepped down after allegations that he and 13 other officers were selling drugs confiscated from busts and then under-reporting the confiscation amounts in their police reports.

The complaints filed by Tess are for murder against Lt. Col. Resty Damaso, chief of the Rodriguez town police, 13 of his men, Lt. Col. Noel Campos, chief of the Rizal provincial police’s Intelligence Branch and six of his men in the Office of the Ombudsman. 19 other officers were accused of obstruction of justice.