Ephraim Escudero, 18-year old and latest extrajudicial killing victim, was laid to rest today. Relatives and friends joined the funeral march from Escudero’s residence to the Castasus Cemetery in San Pedro City, Laguna. They called for justice for Escudero’s untimely death.
Escudero, a father of two kids, went missing on September 19 in San Pedro and was found dead two days after in Angeles City, Pampanga. His face and hands were covered in packaging tape, his wrists and ankles were tied behind his back with tape and his head dotted with bullets—an imagery and case that was all too familiar this month.
(Reynaldo ‘Kulot’ De Guzman, 14, went missing from Cainta, Rizal in August 17 and his body was found in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on September 6, head wrapped in masking tape and body sustained 30 stab wounds.)
Abigail Robis, 21, partner of the slain teenager who is also the father of her two kids, said Ephraim was a good partner and a good father to their kids.
Escudero was a cellphone technician in the cellphone repair shop of their family in San Pedro. The shop is the family’s main source of income. He was last seen on CCTV footage giving two men a ride on his motorcycle. One of the hitchhikers was found dead as well. The third man, Escudero’s motorcycle and cellphones were still missing.
The Stop The Killings Network, who joined the funeral march, joined in the call for justice for Escudero. They called on the government to stop the killings of youth and poor Filipinos under President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
