Philippine toddler’s death during drug raid leads to suspension of 20 police officers
- The child, who police claim was being used as a human shield, is the youngest person to be killed in the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs
- At least 6,600 people have been killed since July 1, 2016 in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called drug war
Two suspected drug dealers and an undercover police officer were also killed in the shoot-out during the raid on June 30 in Rodriguez town in Rizal province, just east of Manila.
The town’s police chief and 19 officers were suspended to “pave the way for an impartial investigation”, according to regional police director Edward Carranza.
The police officers were also directed to surrender their firearms for ballistic tests to determine who shot Kateleen Myca Ulpina, the 3-year-old daughter of the one of the suspects, Carranza said.
According to police, Ulpina’s father used the child as a human shield after he opened fire at police when his accomplice realised it was a sting operation. The girl’s mother has denied the accusation.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a former national police chief who led the country's anti-drug campaign, defended the police operation while lamenting the death of the child.