“License to Kill”

On the morning of July 8, Sentorias and his partner were having breakfast when a group of
five uniformed police officers knocked on their door. When his partner opened the door,
the policemen grabbed her and her 2-year-old son and pulled them outside, saying they
had come to talk to Sentorias. The police officers then rushed into the home and almost
immediately, gunshots rang out. The police officers then blocked Sentorias’ partner from
re-entering their home. 107
According to the police report, the police recovered drugs from Sentorias’ partner when
she was outside, and then entered the house to arrest Sentorias who confronted them with
a gun and was gunned down by them:
[Sentorias] sense[d] the presence of herein policemen pulled his [.38
caliber] revolver and pointed to [a police officer]. Sensing that his life is in
danger, [the officer] fired his service firearm and shots the former hitting
EDWARD SENTORIAS Y BULAWAN on the different parts of the body and fell
down on the pavement and died on the spot. 108
Relatives of Sentorias dispute the police account that he was armed, and said that they
witnessed the police placing the incriminating evidence. 109 A relative of the victim who
reached the scene of the shooting almost immediately afterwards told Human Rights Watch:
We were waiting for the SOCO [police investigators] to arrive. I saw one of
the police go inside with an aluminum briefcase. Out of curiosity I went to
look through the window. I saw the officer open the briefcase and he took
out the gun and some sachets, and placed them there. I went back to where
I was, and was totally shocked. I couldn’t even complain. If we go complain,
what is our chance against the authorities? The government declared the
evidence was found inside his house, so it is their word against ours. I have
107 Ibid.
108 Tondo police department, Spot Report, July 8, 2016, signed by Police Senior Inspector Rommel S. Anicete (on file with
Human Rights Watch).
109 Human Rights Watch interview with relative of Edward Santorias, name withheld, October 19, 2016.
LICENSE TO KILL 48