DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 8 July) – Contrary to the claims of police authorities that 19-year-old Amierkhan Mangacop came from a powerful clan, the victim of the brutal shooting incident in Davao City last Saturday dreamed of becoming a seaman in the hopes of improving his lot in life to support his cash-strapped family back in Maguindanao province, a relative said.
Anwar Mangacop, the uncle of the 19-year-old Amierkhan, told reporters in a press conference at their residence here on Friday that he had taken care of his nephew since he was six as his parents, both farmers, could hardly support him and his five siblings.
Amierkhan was shot dead following a commotion at Lugar Café and Bar at Corner V. Mapa and J. Camus Extension Streets.
The suspect was identified as Dr. Marvin Rey Andrew R. Pepino, 31, who worked as a non-uniformed personnel of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao
Amierkhan left his hometown for Davao in search of a safer and better future, his uncle said.
As his parents could not afford to send all six of them to school, Anwar supported the victim’s schooling.
“My brother and his wife are farmers. They are living a hand-to-mouth existence and could not afford to send their children to school. That’s why I helped Amier go to school as we really thought Amier had a future in Davao),” he said in the vernacular.
Amierkhan, a Grade 9 student at Catalunan Grande National High School, had been helping his uncle in his landscaping business, so that he could save up for himself and his parents.
Anwar believed that his nephew, a self-supporting and caring son to his family, would have lived a promising life in the future had he not died in the hands of Pepino.
“That child was very helpful and would have lived a promising life, but it was ended by a doctor who was supposed to save lives,” he said.
Anwar said they are seeking justice for Amierkhan, as they demanded for a fair and objective investigation of the case as their family has no connections with those in power unlike Pepino.
The suspect’s father, the late Maj. Gen. Marvin Manuel Pepino, served as director of the Cybercrime Investigation Office of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, and his aunt is a judge.
The victim’s family criticized the police for their portrayal of Amierkhan as one of the assailants in the commotion that escalated into a shooting incident.
Amierkhan’s parents, who requested anonymity, wanted to see the killer of their child jailed.
His mother said she would miss her child, who would come home looking for his favorite “tinola” (broth).
Amierkhan would have turned 20 on July 23.
Lawyer Gibb Andrew Cabahug, the counsel for the Mangacop family, questioned the accuracy of the report of the police investigation, which suggested that Pepino shot his firearm seven times as an act of self-defense after being supposedly mauled by the group of Mangacop.
“These people have no capability to make any form of retaliation to the accused. They are not a danger to the life and security of the accused. They are not in the position to make those kinds of actions, they are just ordinary, peace-loving, and law-abiding citizens. They do not drink, they do not smoke, they are peaceful believers of the Muslim faith,” Cabahug said.
He said the police portrayed Pepino as the “victim” of the incident.
He said Pepino was the unlawful aggressor, not Amierkhan, and that the suspect was not there to pacify the commotion contrary to the claims of the police authorities.
He said Pepino could not invoke self-defense as the aggression was inflicted upon the person of the victim and his cousins.
“How can you deescalate the situation if you are angry? Marvin Pepino, during these times, was very angry. He was shouting at the victim and his cousins, ‘Sino kayo, may ari kaayo ng shop?’ (Who are you? Are you the owner of this shop?) Is that the kind of person whose intention was merely to pacify,” he said.
Cabahug urged the people who witnessed the incident to come out and give their statements as they have “difficulty securing the testimonies of other people in support of our complaint for the filing of the information for murder.”
He said Pepino was only attacked after he shot and killed Mangacop.
“We should put in context why the accused was mauled because there were prior incidents before the person of the accused was physically harmed — that is, he drew his weapon for apparently no reason, he pointed his gun at the victim… when there was no unlawful aggression or imminent danger to his life and person,” he said.
Last Tuesday, the Mangacop family requested for the transfer of the case investigation to the National Bureau of investigation, saying the police could not come out with “fair and objective” investigation amid the recent “statements and actions” of the police officers favoring the suspect.
Cabahug said police could not be “impartial because despite these footages they refused to correct their investigation report and still adhered to the initial report that it was self-defense.” (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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