Special Action Forces of the Philippine National Police stormed an attempted jailbreak in a maximum security detention center in Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines, on March 15, 2005. This article reviews the results of separate investigations conducted by the Commission on Human Rights and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, news coverage, and the official statements of government officials involved. Three possible justifications emerge to explain the death of 23 detainees and a member of the national police: (1) incompetence of prison and police personnel; (2) a breakdown of administrative control over the police assault team; and (3) a premeditated and concerted effort to eliminate identified enemies of the state. The article concludes that the third option is the most credible, which is bolstered by the government's meager response to explain the massacre, and by failing to adopt measures proposed by the Philippine Commission on Human Rights.
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