Weighing Justice and Conscience- The Story of Jayson V. Coma’s Death

WRITTEN BY: MARIE NELLE C . LUMAGSAO

Once upon a time, people raised their hands against their brothers, perfected their weapons and sharpened their ideas to justify themselves whenever they sowed destruction, pain and death. It seemed like conscience had fallen asleep. That was only

water under the bridge to consider not because it does not exist nowadays but because it was made too much and common these days.

Death is not the greatest loss in life. It is what dies inside a person while he lives that saddens the ones left. This was what also happened to the family of Jayson V. Coma, an alleged drug dealer who was shot dead on the eve of August 20, 2016. The family was

so affected by his death because they did not only lose a son but the upkeep and caress that laid in the wake of Jayson.

On the other side of the story, the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Palompon after the crime scene, was feasted by some bystanders on social networking sites due to its purported irresponsibility for shooting Jayson on the head to cease the delinquency

he committed during that time. Since The Technician is a student publication that caters the grievances and feats of everybody within and outside the campus, a budding journalist conducted a series of interviews with the PNP, the victim’s family and some bystanders.

This is for the purpose of multi-sourcing, to clear out the unclear and to social media users who commented and posted stuffs dishonoring both sides.

Throwback August 20

The scenario of people running and shouting while debris and broken bottles were on the ground was seen by the Palompon policemen while approaching a male person wearing sando and shorts gripping two knives on both hands. The suspect, who was identified as Jayson V. Coma, was called by the policemen to pacify him by telling him to put down the two knives.

The first gunshot released by PO3 Randy Cañamaque pierced through Jayson’s knee. Although the police officers exerted all their efforts to still the suspect, he still did not calm down but continued. The police officer had no choice but to discharge another shot because there was already an eminent danger to Cañamaque when Jayson headed towards him. Unfortunately, the shot was hit on the head.

Initial investigations were conducted by the police officers after the crime scene, where two 32 cm. bladed weapons were confiscated. Bystanders said that Jayson ran amok and attacked people around the area of Green Apple store near the public terminal of

Palompon.

Hostage Delinquency

Jayson was looking after a person named Philchi when the crime was going on. With that, he then attacked Melinda Bongbong Delgado, the proprietor of Green Apple store, asking if he knew where that Philchi was. Melinda answered that the person he was looking for was not around. He then moved to attack another person, the older brother of Melinda who was sitting outside the bar. He then took his knife and positioned it on the victim’s waist and laid the other knife on the neck ready to decapitate, making to the suspect enabling his brother to escape. This statement was stipulated in the affidavit of the above-mentioned victims.

Alleged Drug User

The person was deported from Abu Dhabi because of illegal drug activities. According to Barangay Ipil III Chairman Ernesto Lagrama, the parents already sought for an advice because the suspect was already a violent person. The family had an attempt to

have him rehabilitated or surrendered to the police but they were threatened to do so. It was even suspected that Jayson used illegal drugs before the incident happened.

Police Officers’ Stand

As law enforcers, the PNP Station of Palompon was troubled because of a number of social media posts and comments on the said crime implying that the police officers of Palompon killed someone without the capability to fight back. They were upset because of the one-sided mindset of the audience who overreacted with the death of Jayson. Cañamaque, who was believed to have shot Jayson, expressed and justified himself by saying, “Kaming mga police, dili mi mukuha og kinabuhi kay kinabuhi gud na, pero kung ada na pud nga makita namo na endangered ang among kaugalingon ug ang uban, kinahanglan na pud mi mutake-action.”

Probable Cause

Born on February 5, 1984, 33 year-old Jayson grew up as a loving and a caring son, a brother and a father. He was even one of the breadwinners of the family. He worked four years in Abu Dhabi to support his wife and two kids. His wife, on the other hand,

left his children and moved to Manila to work correspondingly. Jayson got back to

the Philippines for his children and went to Manila to get his wife but unluckily she was already living with another man. That was the assumed root cause of his depression.

Jayson had gone back abroad to continue working there, where he tried to move on and lived-in with another woman. When he got back to the Philippines again, the typical Jayson they all knew changed because of such probable despair.

Other Side of the Story

Jayson was drunk on August 20th at most 12’ o’clock midnight so his mother

told her not to go outside their house because he was drunk but unfortunately, he

did come out without his family’s awareness. “Pag- abot namo, daghan nama’y

tawo nanggibitbit og camera. Tinuod nagbitbit to siya’g kutsilyo pero wa man daw

to nakagaras o nakasamad. Igo na ta to katong ilang gituhod pero gi-ulo pa man jud.

Mao to akong gimahayan nila,” Saturnino Coma, the father of Jayson, expressed

his grief for the death of his son during an interview.

“Unsa may laban ato niya nga daghan man mo’ng mga police nag-alirong niya? Unsa ma’y nahimo niyang sala diha? Okay ra unta’ng kakita mi nga naa siya’y giduslak diha,” he told the policemen in the aftermath of the crime. But he said that the policemen responded they were sorry because they thought Jayson was a foreigner because of his body built.

Many people advised the family to appeal the case of Jayson, but they did

not because they doubted if they could win the case because of definite reasons. He

further argued that if the death of his son was drug-motivated, they had no right to

kill him because they did not impound any drug or drug paraphernalia from him. “Kung

magpasaka ta’g kaso, wa man gihapo’y kapuslanan. Wa man ta’y laban ani kay hawod

man sila. Daghan kaayo’y nahiubos sa pamaagi nga in-ani karon sukad paglingkod

ni Duterte,” he added.

“Karon, mura nalang ta’g hayop sa ilang panan-aw. Bisan sa Manila kanang mga gipangpatay ari (Philippines), ang mga inahan muhilak na lang. Kung pananglitan og in-ana man kaha, wa na ba diay ta’y panahon magbag-o? Naminaw ko sa mga balita sa TV, kaingon ko nga di na jud maayo,” he said, voicing his grievances towards extra-judicial killings.

“Ang kamatayon sa ako’ng bata diha lang, nakainom, ug nagwala man gani to siya, nagbitbit og kutsilyo pero ilang gipusil sa tuhod, ninghural na, nalagpot nang kutsilyo, ila pa man ju’ng gipusil sa ulo,” he added.

Hoping that justice would favor them sometime, Saturnino imparted that meantime

the family would keep silent for what happened and just wait for God to do the

verdict and impose retaliation for what happened to their son. He even said, “Wa ma’y

gobyerno makalaban nato kay ila man to.”

A Father’s Still Cry

Saturnino assumed that what happened to his son might be all because of

President Duterte’s drug-motivated extrajudicial killings. “Pero wa man na mao ang

ilang pagpatay sa akong anak. Naa pa man unta’y daghan nga klaro kaayo’ng adik.

Ngano’ng siya pa man?” he exclaimed.

He said that, in the aftermath of Yolanda, Jayson helped out his neighbors

financially to rebuild their houses and that was the reason why they were dumbfounded

when he died. Saturnino imparted that he used to serve his son before his death

because his actions were no longer typical for the Jayson they used to know.

“Gipanghagbongan nila (onlookers) og mga baso, mga botilya ang akong anak

bisan wa sila unsaa, so sakit jud to sa akoa ang iyang kamatayon,” he voiced out.

A Kind and Caring Brother

Moreover, Mary Mel V. Coma, a PIT Bachelor of Arts in Communication student

shared that her brother was really kind and caring. “Mangutana to siya kung nangaon

na ba mi, kumusta nami,” she recalled.

Weighing the stories of both sides, let the immediate readers of this article judge

on one hand whether or not the death of a Palomponganon, who has contributed

for the economic welfare of our country as an Overseas Filipino Worker, is worthy of

coming to pass. Consider the reasons and the policemen case report which was based

after the plaintiffs and the eyewitnesses’ statements to shoot a fellowman leading him to his death. Contemplate what should prevail. Conscience, in order not to put an

end to someone’s life? Or justice, to favor on what the law enforces to be just?

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PHOTOS’ SOURCE

Jayson V. Coma’s Facebook account