Guns, goons, and a graduation
Following a shooting incident at a graduation ceremony, people justifying the killings. (Image: Tarantadong Kalbo)
On Sunday, July 24, a shooting incident occurred in the Ateneo de Manila University campus, killing three people—the former mayor of Lamitan, Basilan, her aide, and an Ateneo security guard. Two others were injured, including Hannah Furigay, the former mayor’s daughter who was supposed to march that day.
What would have been a celebratory occasion for the Ateneo Law School (ALS) graduating class of 2022 quickly turned into a dangerous scene as an armed gunman opened fire during the graduation ceremony.
Eventually, the suspect was captured along Aurora Boulevard after a chase by authorities. The campus was promptly secured and later on, it was announced that the Arete complex would be closed until further notice. The ALS graduation rites were also canceled following the incident.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte posted a statement, denouncing the incident and stating that it must be “condemned to the highest level.” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also provided a brief statement on his Facebook page, vowing a swift investigation.
The suspect
Not long after the suspect was captured, he was identified by police. Despite conflicting names given by the police and the Office of the Mayor of Quezon City, his identity was confirmed to be Chao Tiao Yumol, a physician from Lamitan, Basilan.
Quezon City Police District Director Police Brigadier General Remus Medina described him as a “determined assassin” as he had no permanent address, frequently moving around prior to the attack.
Authorities also found out that on Sunday, Yumol used a ride-hailing app to book a taxi and enter the university with two pistols. Medina said in a press conference, “According to him, nag-rent lang siya ng Grab taxi, tapos hindi naman siya na-inspect tuloy tuloy siya sa loob, yun lang, kaya siya nakapasok sa loob ng Ateneo.”
(“According to him, he just rented a Grab taxi, then he wasn’t inspected thoroughly inside [the car], which is why he got inside Ateneo.”)
Police also stated that he had “personal motives” against the now-slain Rose Furigay, former mayor of Lamitan. In 2018, Furigay issued a cease-and-desist order against his infirmary clinic operating without a permit. According to Furigay’s lawyer, this incident sparked the suspect’s malicious insinuations against the mayor among others online, which led to the filing of more than 70 cyber libel cases.
Other known information about Yumol includes his vocal support for former president Rodrigo Duterte and his brand of vigilante justice. Along with this came a hatred for Leni Robredo, opposition leader in the May 2022 elections, as well as Robredo’s supporters.
The community
Yumol is particularly a popular figure on Facebook, with over 70,000 followers, a verified status on the platform, and connections to other pro-Duterte bloggers such as Maharlika. Previously, Maharlika has been fact-checked by other media organizations and was involved in a lawsuit filed by former Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Pangilinan claimed that the false content on their videos was intended to damage his reputation.
Following the shooting incident, Maharlika reposted Yumol’s mugshot from a 2019 arrest with the caption: “Stay strong, Doc! Baka ngayon mapansin na ng gobyerno ang ipinaglalaban mo.”
(“Stay strong, Doc! Maybe now the government will notice what you’re fighting for.”)
The support for the killer is not uncommon on pages like Maharlika. A common perspective is that Yumol is simply a whistleblower who aimed to expose the corruption and drug trade in Lamitan, thus taking justice into his own hands.
Posts that spread this message often lean into dangerous territory. Comments from some other supporters have reached the point of justification of the murders, saying they deserved it or that Yumol was a victim of the government’s neglect.
The culture
Regardless of his motive or need for justice, the killer’s actions caused even more injustice to others—two of whom weren’t even personally involved in the issue between Yumol and Furigay. Aside from Rose Furigay, her aide Victor George Capistrano and Ateneo’s security guard Jeneven Bandiola were murdered in broad daylight.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident in which citizens had to take matters into their own hands. Duterte’s infamous war on drugs, characterized by vigilantism and extrajudicial killings, definitely had concrete effects on the country’s attitude towards justice. Just a few months ago, volunteer educators Chad Booc and Kevin Castro were killed after being tagged as terrorists by the military.
When a culture of distrust towards a broken system is coupled with disinformation, populist leaders like Duterte leave Filipinos a bloody legacy that bleeds well into Marcos Jr.’s new administration.
Ateneo de Manila University has started a donation drive for the family of security guard Jeneven Bandiala. Any amount will go a long way.
