KARAPATAN denounces the statement of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla yesterday absolving the Philippine National Police (PNP) of responsibility for the death of construction worker Eric Saber during the September 21, 2025 anti-corruption protest.
Saber, a passerby on his way home from work, was struck by a bullet during the violent dispersal of protesters along Recto Avenue. He sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
Remulla claimed that the bullet that killed Saber came from a “loose firearm” and not from the PNP.
“Remulla wants us to simply take his word despite the PNP’s notorious record of human rights violations, particularly in violently suppressing the people’s rights to freedom of expression, speech, and peaceful assembly,” said Sol Taule, KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General.
“The Secretary’s statement is not supported by any credible, transparent, and independent investigation. Instead of presenting evidence, Remulla merely echoed the police narrative while dismissing legitimate demands for accountability,” Taule added.
KARAPATAN stressed that the circumstances surrounding Saber’s death cannot be separated from the excessive and militarized police response to the anti-corruption protest. Witnesses documented police officers carrying high-powered firearms and using excessive force against protesters and bystanders alike.
“The government cannot evade accountability by conveniently attributing the fatal shot to an unidentified ‘loose firearm’ without a thorough and impartial investigation,” Taule said.
The human rights group also warned that Remulla’s pronouncement effectively prejudges the outcome of any investigation and reinforces the culture of impunity that has long emboldened abusive state security forces.
“Public officials tasked with ensuring accountability should not be the first to shield those implicated in serious human rights violations. Such statements undermine public confidence in the justice system and further deny Eric Saber’s family the truth and justice they deserve,” Taule ended.