The autopsy results of the nine activists who were killed during simultaneous raids in Calabarzon in March suggest they were “shot to be killed,” a forensic pathologist said Thursday.
According to Dr. Raquel Fortun, who conducted the examination upon the request of the family of the victims and human rights activists, those who were killed sustained at least two gunshot wounds on the chest.
“The common pattern is they… were apparently shot to be killed,” she told ANC.
“If you are just trying to neutralize someone for the purposes of reducing the resistance you encounter as law enforcer, these individuals were intended to be really killed if you aim for the chest. That’s going to kill you, and that’s what happened,” she added.
She said some of the cadavers showed signs of being “partially examined” while others only had “skin incisions.”
“Some had incisions on the chest and abdomen and that gives you an idea maybe there was an autopsy. But when you open up the body, that’s it, there’s just skin incisions,” she said.
“There’s no standard as to how the examination was done,” she added.
Fortun expressed hope that international forensics experts could help in the investigation.
“My wish is for them to finally come in and help us,” she said.
On March 7, the police and military implemented multiple search warrants in Calabarzon that left 9 activists dead and 4 others arrested.
Among those killed were Manny Asuncion of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Cavite and fisherfolk leaders Chai Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista in Batangas.