Excessive use of force in law enforcement operations hit

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MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has expressed alarm over incidents of excessive use of force by law enforcers during operations, including those conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which have resulted in deaths of innocent civilians.

In his privilege speech at the Senate yesterday, Tulfo cited several incidents, including the “Alfad Case,” where three civilians were killed during a joint PNP-AFP operation in Zamboanga City.

According to the testimony of survivor Mohammad Alfad, who sought help through his program on May 1, operatives allegedly raided their home at around 1:30 a.m. to arrest a certain Saddam Siddik. However, he insisted that no such person was in their residence.

The family reportedly woke up to successive gunfire that seemed to “rain” on their home. Operatives, on the other hand, claimed they acted in self-defense after two unidentified individuals opened fire. Investigators later confirmed that Siddik was not present at the location during the operation.

Tulfo stressed that such incidents should not be ignored, especially when there are indications of poor planning, excessive use of force and failure to follow established protocols.

He also identified key issues behind failed law enforcement operations, including lack of proper planning and violations of rules of engagement due to excessive force.

“All the victims of mistaken identity and all the collateral damages during law enforcement operations are victims of lack of planning,” Tulfo said.

“Our law enforcers should also be trained to determine what is necessary and reasonable, taking into consideration the number of aggressors, nature and characteristic of the weapon used, physical condition, size and other circumstances to include the place and occasion of the assault,” he added.

Tulfo further pointed out problems in the e-warrant system due to outdated data, which can lead to mistaken identity.

He also emphasized the importance of command responsibility, stressing that accountability should extend not only to rank-and-file personnel but also to their superiors.