Joven Canizares was shot dead while walking along Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue by motorcycle-riding assailants, while two female bystanders —Mary Anne Cruz and Marivic Miape — were wounded by stray bullets.
Chief Insp. Roberto Garcia, chief of Pasig police investigation unit, said Canizares was a suspected drug pusher who was on the police watch list.
The victim’s family maintained that Canizares only used drugs and that he already stopped a long time ago. “He can’t even buy food. If he’s a pusher, he should be rich now,” said Junior Tilan, a cousin.
“It’s still the police who killed him. I don’t believe a drug syndicate did this,” Tilan said. “They told the media there are no more antidrug operations. That’s just for show. They still kill drug suspects.”
Canizares was a father of two children aged 9 and 11.