“License to Kill”

estimated 4 grams of shabu and two marked 100 pesos bills from the drug bust were
recovered from Miras’s possession. 127
His family contested the police version of events, asserting that Miras had not sold any
drugs to the police team, as he remained home prior to and during the incident, had not
engaged in a firefight, and did not own any guns.
Aaron Joseph Paular, August 3
Zamora Interlink, Santa Mesa, Manila
Aaron Joseph Paular, 24, the father of a 3-year-old girl, found irregular work as a house
painter. His relatives said he was an occasional shabu user, but was not listed on the
neighborhood watch list as a known drug user or dealer. He had not received any warnings
from local officials about his drug use. 128
On August 3, close to midnight, Paular was on his way to his girlfriend’s house to pick up his
daughter when he encountered a group of about 20 armed men in civilian dress. 129
Witnesses to the encounter later told Paular’s relatives that the men, who the police report
stated were police, asked Paular if he was “Ron-Ron,” and he answered that his name was
Aaron. 130 One of the men then opened fire on Paular, wounding him in the shoulder, so
Paular tried to run away and hide. Paular’s relatives said they arrived at the scene soon after
the initial shooting but while he was still alive. They assert that Paular was unarmed and was
trying to hide from the police. When the police found him, one shot and killed him. 131
According to the police report, a police officer conducted a “buy-bust” operation,
purchasing shabu from Paular.
127 Bocaue Police Station, Spot Report on Armed Encounter During Anti-Illegal Drugs Buy-Bust Operation, July 27, 2016, (on
file with Human Rights Watch).
128 Human Rights Watch interview with relative of Aaron Joseph Paular, Santa Mesa, October 22, 2016.
129 Ibid.
130 Ibid.
131 Ibid.
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