Diego Bello Lafuente's "honesty" defense has become the leitmotif that guides his friends and relatives. Philippine police shot him dead this week on the island of Siargao and the official report qualifies him as a "high-value drug dealer." Since his death was known and the authorities branded him a criminal, those who knew him strive to defend his image and his honor. Now, they implore help to the consul of Spain in the country.

Diego Bello, a surfing fan from a young age, moved to the Philippines two years ago and currently had three burgeoning businesses - a hostel, a clothing store and a leisure place - on the island of Siargao. Although he lacked a background and his entire environment says he never had any relationship with narcotics, the Philippine police described his death as a "successful operation in the fight against drugs" in which he was shot "in self-defense" because Diego was carrying a 45 caliber pistol and first shot at the agents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that they are providing consular assistance to the family and the consul follows the issue closely and keeps in touch with the Philippine authorities, both national and local. The protocol is being scrupulously fulfilled and the family is accompanied at all times, but that is not enough for their environment, which goes further and asks for the facts to be thoroughly investigated.

It is in this context that Oliver Méndez , Olito , a Coruña surfer, sent a letter to Fernando Heredia Noguer , General Consul of Spain in Manila . In the letter, to which EL MUNDO has had access, he describes what happened to Diego as "murder" and asks him to "do everything in his power" so that he can clarify "what has really happened." He seeks to show that his friend died "in a dignified and honest way", according to the life he led, and that his death does not end up related to shooting, weapons and drug trafficking, because "the only weapon Diego used in his life was love and his smile towards others. "

This Coruña surfer visited Diego in the Philippines a few months ago and there he could verify "in first person" that the deceased, 32, was a hardworking person, much loved by the local people of the island, generous with his workers and "full excited to do projects in the Philippines "and that all that was truncated with his death by shooting.

"We believe that his life has been taken unfairly," the letter continues, and echoes a very widespread version between Diego Bello's surroundings and the surfing community around the world, which the police "has followed the orders of someone with a lot of power that Diego and the success of his business hurt. "

Other friends and acquaintances speak of a context of "extortion" in which Diego did not want to give money to the police and ended up dead, but the letter sent to the consul is more cautious and recognizes that it will be difficult to clarify what happened. It is useful to remember that several organizations that defend Human Rights have denounced that the Philippine police were falsifying evidence to justify executions and that they believe that "unfortunately this could be another case."

Pending repatriation

In addition to imploring help to shed light on such a strange death, he also calls for expediting the procedures for the repatriation of Diego's body. In this regard, from outside indicate that it is not possible to specify when it will occur. It should be noted that these are long and complicated processes that can take weeks, depending on the cases.

Diego's friends say they are "shocked," but that doesn't stop them from struggling to get the truth. "The only thing we are looking for is to defend the honesty of our dear Diego," they point out from the Galician surfing community. Oliver Méndez delves into it: "All I'm looking for is that Diego be fired from this world as a good person, dignified and hardworking and not related to drug trafficking and weapons."

That "assembly of the Philippine police" is the unanimous version of its entire environment. Another Sufist friend who stayed at Diego's hostel in October said that the young man "had no need for any drugs or anything. He did not use or sell drugs and less carried weapons" and adds that, after killing him, "he got drugs and money in your pockets. "

Diego was a native of the town of Arteixo in Coruña, his family has a business in the historic center of Santiago, and has always been linked to the surfing community, which plans to organize a tribute to the Hawaiian-style beach when everything calms down.

Diego Bello "always had a smile for everyone," insists this friend who had just visited him in October, and this brought him much affection that, at his death, has sparked a wave of support publications on social networks. She was joined by the town hall of A Coruña and Deportivo de La Coruña, club of which he was a player in the cadet and youth categories and image in the 2017-2018 season.

Also a social media campaign is spreading through social networks that seeks to raise funds for their repatriation and to help the family and "show our solidarity from anywhere in the world and seek justice." It has already collected more than 7,500 euros.

An independent investigation

While his family asks for discretion and tranquility to cope with such hard times, it is Diego's friends, practically all of them from the world of surfing, who lead this defense of his image. In addition, this Friday they have left a strong ally in this fight. The Philippines Human Rights Commission denounced Diego's death and demanded an independent investigation of the case.

Commission spokeswoman Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement that the circumstances surrounding her death "require an independent investigation" and insists that the "self-defense argument" that the police are using in the case of Bello and of so many other suspects killed in drug raids "must be brought to court."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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