Akbayan party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula has expressed support for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) investigation into a police-military operation in Zamboanga City that left three members of the same family dead, including a 12-year-old child.
The CHR’s Region 9 legal division confirmed it has launched an inquiry into the incident, which occurred during a pre-dawn joint operation by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Barangay Sinunuc.
The fatalities were identified as village official Jerry Indan Alfad, 52; Rayyan Hassan Alfad, 22; and 12-year-old Salam Aradais Alfad.
Ismula called on the AFP and PNP leadership to fully cooperate with the investigation, stressing the need for an independent and transparent probe.
“There is no room in our society for the killing of children and civilians in the name of any operation. A 12-year-old child cannot simply be treated as ‘collateral damage,’” she said.
The lawmaker also raised concerns over conflicting accounts of the raid, noting that authorities claimed the victims allegedly resisted arrest, while some witnesses have disputed this.
She said the incident underscores the need to strengthen accountability in law enforcement operations, particularly when civilian lives are at stake.
“When operations result in the deaths of those they are sworn to protect, public trust is deeply eroded,” Ismula said.
She added that she will closely monitor developments in Congress and push for accountability measures if violations or operational lapses are established.
Authorities have yet to release the full findings of the CHR investigation.