Two cases of rape committed by police officers against a female detainee and a teenage girl in September reveal disturbing increase in incidents involving persons tasked to protect them.
On September 4, a 34-year old female detainee in Cavite identified as alias “Iza” was raped by alias “Lt. Edward”, the deputy police chief of Noveleta in his office. According to the victim, she was previously detained and repeatedly assaulted in June 2024, when she was held in the police barracks for four days. The victim was able to report the case through 911 on September 18 with the help of visitors. She has since been transferred to a different detention facility, while the deputy chief was charged under RA 8353 or Anti-Rape Law last Sept. 23 and is now under the restrictive custody of the Cavite Police Provincial Office.
Another similar instance occurred last Sept. 28 in Brgy. San Roque, Ginatilan, Cebu, where a 14-year-old female grade 9 student was allegedly raped by Police Lieutenant Jephte Bariga of Malabuyoc Police Station. According to the Cebu Police Provincial Office, manhunt operations are still ongoing and lookout bulletins were also issued in all airports and terminals across the province in order to prevent escape of the policeman.
This alarming increase in the number of minors and women being raped was also noted in the last month’s report, accounting the rape of two 17-year-old female students in General Santos by a police officers under the guise of a traffic violation on Aug. 1, the assault against a policewoman inside a patrol car in Marikina on Aug. 17, and the physical assault of two unnamed male and one female teenagers by a drunk policeman in Cebu on Aug, 3.
One killing each day
The Sandatahang Dahas monitor of the UP Third World Studies Center recorded 27 killings and 28 injuries in state-related incidents this September, bringing the total number of those killed this year to 285 and those injured to 247; a rate of almost one each, each day.
State forces did most of the killings in September. The police and the military were responsible for 25 of the 27 killings. Of the 25 killings attributed to the police and the military, the police committed 20 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) five, all alleged insurgents. The two remaining cases in the 27 killings were of a civilian who killed a member of the Philippine Army and an unidentified member of an armed group who killed a police officer in an ambush.
Of the 20 killed by the police, 17 were civilians, two were fellow police officers, and one was an alleged member of Dawlah Islamiyah.
Two of the 17 civilians killed were from Misamis Oriental. At midnight of September 7, an unnamed policeman killed a van driver and a passenger, and wounded another passenger outside of police operations. The fatalities were identified as Ernesto Betonio, the van driver, and Greg Labadan Jr. Meanwhile, the injured female passenger’s identity remains unknown. Witnesses said that the officer and the driver might have known each other as he reportedly called Betonio “uncle.” It was also reported that the police officer, who was seated beside the driver, was supposed to get off earlier but fell asleep and woke up after the van had passed his stop. A dispute arose when he asked the driver to turn back. The driver refused. PNP officials noted that the policeman may have been emotionally distressed, having argued with his wife earlier that day. The suspect will face two counts of murder, frustrated murder, and administrative charges.
Also on Sept. 7, two motorcycle snatchers were killed by the police in a hot pursuit in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat.
Police officers were also killing fellow police officers.
On Sept. 13, a police senior master sergeant shot and killed a fellow officer and wounded another policeman at a community checkpoint in Brgy. Gaddangao, Rizal, Cagayan. The victims, Police Executive Master Sergeant Danilo Binondo (killed) and Police Executive Master Sergeant Manual Deodato (injured), were both assigned to the Rizal Municipal Police Station. According to the Cagayan Police Provincial Office, the suspect pointed his firearm at another officer, prompting the victims to intervene. The unnamed senior master sergeant attempted to flee but surrendered later. The authorities are still investigating the suspect’s motives for the shooting. In Kidapawan CIty, Cotabato, Police Corporal Renante Astudillo Villanueva shot Police Corporal Kim Lloyd Pramisana Pedregosa on Sept. 18 while they were both inside a police facility. As with the Cagayan case, the motive was unclear.
As for injuries in state-related violence, 28 cases were recorded in September. Of these cases, 22 happened during law enforcement operations. Civilians assaulting members of the police and the military accounted for 15 cases; eight cases were of police officers injuring mostly civilians; three cases were of members of the AFP harming a civilian and two alleged insurgents; and the last two cases were of alleged insurgents injuring a police officer and a member of the military.
One of the 15 cases of civilians attacking the police or the military, 14 occurred during law enforcement operations. The exception was the case of PCpl. Kim Alvin Torres, who was stabbed by Jerry Higo on the night of September 21 in Brgy. Milibili, Roxas City, Capiz. Torres was about to leave from a sari-sari store where he made some purchases, when he encountered Higo and his companion who were drunk. Higo stabbed him on his left chest. Torres tried to flee but Higo attacked him again. Torres wrestled the knife from Higo and stabbed him with it. Higo was declared dead on arrival at a hospital. Torres survived.
Continued rise of casualties in anti-insurgent operations
[Insert Figure 4: Reported Incidents of State-related Violence in the Philippines September 2025]
Anti-insurgent operations continue to be a high bearer of casualties. On Sept. 13, a suspected member of the New People’s Army identified as Gerry dela Cruz alias “Justin,” was killed in a gunfight between the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) and the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) in Paranas, Samar. Three consecutive encounters ensued in total, which led to the arrest of two other NPA members.
Apart from Samar, the municipality of Tapaz, Capiz faces an intensification in the prolonged anti-insurgent operations as well. In last month’s report, Sandatahang Dahas recorded the August 22 incident during NPA pursuit operations in the tri-boundary of Barangays Agpalali, Artuz, and Tabon as the first in a series of repeated encounters. On August 25, two consecutive gunfights between AFP and around ten communist rebels of the dismantled Central Front and Regional Sentro de Grabidad, Komiteng Rehiyon–Panay (KR-P) of the NPA has claimed the lives of AFP Sergeant Jhon Ray Coopera, two unnamed insurgents, and wounding an unnamed sergeant.
Continuing on last month’s report on Capiz, alleged insurgent Christine May Capaducio, with the aliases of Sheryl, Elsa, Paday, and Isa, was killed in an operation by the 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) of the Philippine Army in Sitio Naatip, Brgy. Lahug, Tapaz, Capiz, last September 13. Capaducio had reportedly served as a medic of the Regional Headquarters of Komiteng Rehiyon – Panay (KR-Panay).
A week after that, in the morning of September 20, two NPA members identified as Benmark Laguerder alias “Anjino” and Edwin Penequito Gregore alias “Popoy”, were killed in a ten-minute encounter in Brgy. Katipunan, Tapaz, Capiz. The gunfight started after the AFP personnel responded to the reports of the presence of armed men in the area. On September 27 in the same barangay, a ranking commander of NPA in Panay islands known as alias “Mego” sustained a gunshot wound in his left foot during an encounter. Afterwards, he surrendered to the AFP and has since gotten treatment at a hospital.
A spike in drug-related incidents
Killings of subjects in antidrug operations by state actors became pronounced in August and September. From a low of three cases in July, there was an uptick in August with 11 killings and nine in September.
On Sept. 1, father-and-son Mandangan and Iverson Noden were killed by police forces in an entrapment operation in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. They had sold what was suspected to be shabu worth P1.6 million when the policemen fired shots, instantly killing both. The family’s 18-year-old son, Daboy Node, reportedly surrendered peacefully during his arrest.
On Sept. 2, a marijuana and shabu dealer was killed in an anti-narcotics operation by the Surallah Municipal Police Station in Brgy. Colongulo, Surallah, South Cotabato. The victim was identified as Stephen Dubria Dagismol, 39 years old, who managed to avoid five entrapment attempts by different Police Regional Office-12 units in ten months. Dagismol opened fire with a .38 caliber revolver that forced the police to return fire, killing him immediately.
On Sept. 16, a drug-related law enforcement operation by the PNP, PDEA, and the Marines was launched against an alleged drug den in Barangay Lipawa, Barira, Maguindanao del Norte. This led to the death of Samsurin Baraguir alias “Robot,” reportedly a known drug peddler in the area. His daughter, only 15 years old, was also killed during the operation. Three others were arrested.
On Sept. 22, two alleged drug pushers were killed by the police in Barangay Camino Nuevo in Zamboanga City. Harold Lloyd Campo and Melvin J. Flores were reportedly drinking together when police approached. In the ensuing fight, both suspects were gunned down while PSMS Aljen Julkanain was injured by a bolo attack from Campo.
On Sept. 29, Moner Usman, an alleged member of Dawlah Islamiyah, was killed after reportedly resisting arrest during a buy-bust operation in Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur. Special Action Force (SAF) trooper Pcpl. Jeric Dela Cruz was injured in the gunfire. Usman had six standing warrants of arrest, including two for murder, three for frustrated murder, and one for carnapping.
Visayas as a new hotspot, continued clashes in Capiz
For September, Visayas bears the brunt of the highest number of casualties (19 cases), with 10 killed and nine injured. Most of the cases are concentrated within Capiz, especially within the anti-insurgent operations in Tapaz. Luzon ranks second, with three killed and 14 injured, particularly concentrated within the areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) and Batangas. Mindanao, last month’s island group with the highest number of incidents, ranks third with 16 incidents. Incidents are fairly scattered across the region, with Zamboanga del Sur and Misamis Oriental having the most number of incidents with three cases each.
On the side of Luzon, nine of the 10 injuries in NCR occurred during the protest against corruption on September 5 in the House of Representatives in Quezon City. Raja Lynn Bausing, a 20-year old transwoman was harassed by police officers who reportedly choked and dragged her across the pavement. She suffered from a number of bruises and wounds as she was inspected in the hospital. She already filed a complaint affidavit at the Commission on Human Rights last September 9.
On the side of the police, eight officers were wounded after minor clashes with the protesters during the same protest. They were Col. Randy Glenn Silvio, Col. Joel A Villanueva, Lt. Col. Rossel Cejas, Lt. Col. Romil Avenido, Lt. Col. Edgar Batoon, Pat. Cimiar Abastilla, and two unnamed uniformed personnel.
Anti-corruption protests in the NCR have rippled beyond the September 5th protest. The September 21 protests escalated to people throwing rocks at police and burning tyres of a barricade, to which police responded with a water cannon and the arrest of some protesters. On September 30, a group of lawyers in the National Union of People’s Lawyers asserted that the detainees from the September 21 protest were beaten, extorted and denied medical care. From this source, an approximate 216 individuals were arrested by police, including 91 minors, with the youngest being nine years old. For a much accurate number of the casualties, a more detailed accounting will be included in the annual report.
While the clashes of Tapaz, Capiz continue through the month of September, the political climate along areas of NCR amidst the anti-corruption movements might also increase possible instances of state violence and repression. Additionally, increased surges of drug-related casualties and police assault against minors and women suggest an emerging pattern that might warrant closer attention in the upcoming months. Overall, Sandatahang Dahas will continue to monitor to see sustained instances of state-related violence and sites of increasing cases.
[Note: The Sandatahang Dahas count for September 2025 does not yet include the injuries and at least one possible death caused by state actors during the Sept. 21 anticorruption protests. Media reports, drawing solely from figures released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) a day after the protests, state that 129 police officers and 76 civilians were injured due to the violent confrontations between the police and the protesters that flared up early afternoon at the south-end of Ayala Bridge along Romualdez Street then at the Mendiola-Legarda-Recto area until late in the evening. These numbers, however, cannot be relied on to answer the question of who injured whom. Were the civilians solely injured by the police or were they injured by the protestors? Four days after the police released its figures, human rights lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, Karapatan, and the Public Interest Law Center said that the PNP made 216 arrests, almost half of whom were minors. A number of these arrests, as seen on news video clips and in social media posts by various individuals at the scene, involved physical assaults by the arresting officers and there were also instances of civilians ganging up on the police while an arrest was being made. Were these documented cases of assaults already accounted for in the figures released by the PNP? Sandatahang Dahas’s method of recording instances of state-related violence relies on news reports and official data that clearly establish who the assailant was and who was the victim. The current pieces of information remain unclear and imprecise for the Sandatahang Dahas’s count. Research is being conducted to arrive at a clearer context and a definite number, the result of which will be made available in succeeding Sandatahang Dahas reports.]
(The authors are student assistants of the Third World Studies Center, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman. Aidrielle Raymundo provided the graphics and additional research assistance. To learn more about Sandatahang Dahas, visit its website and for the latest updates, follow the Dahas Project in these social media platforms: X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky. Reports for the previous months are available at https://dahas.upd.edu.ph/sd-monthly-reports/.)
