'My nephew was a victim of summary execution'

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- A year after her nephew was allegedly summarily executed by unidentified cops in Negros Occidental in the Philippines, a nursing assistant here wants the incoming Duterte administration to reopen the case "and give justice to my nephew who was killed like an animal."
Orchid Telleran said Berlyn Evangelista, 21, was mistaken as drug peddler and was first arrested by armed men believed to be cops before his body was discovered with gunshot and stab wounds  in a sugarcane field in Barangay Sta. Rosa, Murcia town on June 7, 2015.
"He was definitely salvaged," sobbed Telleran, who works for an elderly in Manhattan.

ORCHID TELLERAN

Telleran said she was hoping Evangelista's case would be properly handled by authorities concerned, but after a year, nothing happened.

JUSTICE

Telleran said she feared Evangelista could not get justice because the suspects were reportedly members of law enforcement, but now that the new president, Rodrigo Duterte, is known to be iron-fisted and does not tolerate abuses by authorities, she is hoping that the case will be investigated again.
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Negros Occidental chief Romeo Baldevarona had earlier expressed fears Evangelista's case could fall under extra-judicial killing.
The CHR conducted a motu proprio investigation but no culprit has been reportedly charged in court.
Evangelista's case has remained unsolved, Telleran said.
Telleran added she saw the video of Evangelista's execution where the 21-year-old tricycle driver was pleading for his life.
"I couldn't take it. I couldn't watch it further. It pained me so much," Telleran protested. "I knew Berlyn since he was a child and he was not a bad guy. Gin plantidan lang sia. Ang masakit gin video pa nila (they just planted the evidence. What pained me most was that they also recorded the murder on video)."

POWER

It was within CHR’s power to come up with an investigation report if there is no walk-in complainant in incidents considered extra-judicial killings and other celebrated cases involving police and military officers, it was reported.
Senior Superintendent Melchor Coronel, then officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Police Office, had denied the alleged involvement of his men in Evangelista's slay.
Coronel said he had seen the video that showed two unidentified men forcing the victim to board a black vehicle.
Telleran said Evangelista's mother is her sister, Jocelyn. He left three small children.