Documentary Report: Police keep mum on STL massacre in Iligan City kills guard

The masacred RDS building stationed the Small Town Lottery (STL) - Gaming and Entertainment, Incorporated located at Quezon Avenue Extension, Pala-o, Iligan City.

By Jun Enriquez

Iligan City – It was seven months ago, on the early dawn of December 24, 2018, a massacre transpired in a Small Town Lottery (STL) business establishment, the Gaming and Entertainment, Incorporated at the RDS building owned and managed by Ms. Margie Molina, based in Manila, whose establishment located at Quezon Avenue Extension, Pala-o this city.

Prior to the incident, the workers of STL establishment was having its Christmas party at their office on the evening of December 23 and finished the party at midnight. On the following day at around 3:00 A.M., a massacre transpired.

Based on the information from witnesses who are workers of the establishment recounted that there were four armed gunmen suspects riding in tandem with two motorcycles, open fired the STL building and a service car red Mitsubishi Estrada pick-up with plate number NDF 6233 parked in the area pumped with bullets at a distance of five meters west from the building. Accordingly, police theorized that the suspects were armed with M-16 Armalite and .45 caliber pistol used during the massacre based on the slugs recovered.

Witnesses added that at the time of the massacre there were no police personnel present in the area. It usually had police patrol car seen in the vicinity in the past because the area is considered a commercial center.

There were two security guard personnel, who are Jaralba brothers, were heavily hit with bullets during the massacre, they are Henry Jaralba, 31 years old wounded with casualty named Jonas Jaralba, 27 years old both residents of Iligan City.

The Jaralba brothers were immediately brought to nearby city public hospital after the massacre at first both were still alive. During the time of the admission at the Iligan City hospital only two nurses and one laboratory technician were on-duty without a doctor available. The doctor was only present four hours later after the incident but Jonas passed away on December 24 suffering excessive blood bleeding from his body with severe injury in his abdomen. Prior to his death Jonas complaining of medical treatment screaming with utmost pain.

Prior to the death of Jonas, on the early morning of the same day, the mother of the victims requested for transfer both patients to private hospital from the Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital (GTLMH), local hospital, due to lack of facilities and attending physicians, but needed a release clearance. During the interview, the mother recounted the gesture of Iligan City Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz “kung mo transfer mo sa private hospital duna ba mo kwarta ikabayad?” (if you will transfer your patients to private hospital, do you have money to pay hospital bills?), but the mother said they have available 30,000 pesos and the STL operator also committed to provide full assistance to the victims, but still no clearance issued to release the victims for transfer.  Then few hours later at around 9:00 A.M. Jonas Jaralba expired and died six hours after the massacre.

Unconfirmed information from the police said that there was a winner betted about 300 pesos was not paid out and it might be one of the suspects of the massacre. The one peso-bet will win 600 pesos. The STL operator said that they have at least 1,000 member-agents within Iligan City and nearby places. Those agents who will not remit the betted numbers are called “doble kara”. It was also told that they received threats to stop their STL operations. They Informed further that there were plenty of illegal STL operators present in Iligan City and nearby localities.

In gathering more information about the massacre incident, this reporter together with another media colleague went to the police station number 5 in Iligan City to conduct interview to the station commander but to no avail the police desk in-charged pointed his finger to the tarpaulin hanged in their office and advised us to apply for the Freedom of Information (FOI) processes to access information 15 days later. The purpose of the media interview is to access immediate information from the police to know more about the solutions of the problem for public safety and security but nothing heard.

Since the time of the massacre incident in December 23, 2018 until today, the Iligan City police office especially the Police station 5 personnel did not issue any public statements for public safety and security but they continued keeping mum of the massacre incident happened seven months ago.

The poor Jaralba family still seeking justice for the death of Jonas and the surviving Henry. They are calling the attention of the Department of Health (DOH) to investigate the Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital (GTLMH), the local hospital in Iligan City, the hospital personnel especially the doctors and nurses for the very poor services that caused the death of Jonas Jaralba and most possible they will be stripped off with their licenses to prevent further damage of human lives in the future. Complaint reports added that plenty of casualties of patients in this hospital are continued happening due to poor services with no medicines available for the patients due to corruption, with the presence of arrogant medical personnel. Some people jokingly said that better to convert this kind of hospital into funeral homes.

The Jaralba family also calling the attention of the National leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to take action and investigate the inaction of the police personnel in Iligan City, especially the Police Station 5 regarding the massacre incident happened on December 23, 2018 in this city. The Iligan City police office especially the Police station 5 never responded the needs of the victims’ family whom questioning the National Police slogan “To Serve and Protect”. The Jaralba family demands the dismissal of these police “patolas” (cowards) by putting the public in danger.

This is an issue of policing public safety and security, a primary responsibility of the police force but in-complacency and anxiety prevail. Iligan City was in danger situation at the time and beyond of the massacre because terrorism and violent extremism during the Marawi siege still fresh from the hearts and minds of the people and still sporadically happening in some places in Mindanao. This also go against the commitment of the local chief executive of Iligan City on his peace and order program also keeping mum of this crime incident. (with reports from Hermie Arcilla)