Killings government fails to probe are extrajudicial, CHR says

CEBU, Philippines - Killings that government fails to investigate fall within the purview of extrajudicial killings, the Commission on Human Rights said.

"If the government fails to do its part, then rightfully we can ask for accountability," said CHR-7 Investigation Division head Leo Villarino at the sidelines of the dialogue held yesterday at the Archbishop's Residence in Cebu City.

During the dialogue, Villarino talked about extrajudicial killings in the context of human rights standards and principles.

Extrajudicial killing, also known as extralegal killings, is defined commonly as "killings committed without due process of law."

Villarino told attendees he also adopts the definition of the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, which states that execution encompasses not only unjustified killing by government forces, but also includes killings by other groups or individuals that the government fails to investigate, prosecute, and punish when it is in a position to do so.

He said CHR's head office has ordered the creation of the national task force against extrajudicial killings and the regional offices are tasked to monitor and handle arbitrary killings related to war against drugs occurring since May 10.

Villarino revealed they have listed at least 328 cases, 37 of which are already docketed for formal investigation separate from the police.

He said the police were uncooperative at first, which delayed the investigations, but he also understood that they had to seek consent from their higher-ups to release copies of their own investigation reports.

He said PRO-7 has committed to give its full cooperation, ordering police stations to provide investigation reports "as soon as possible."

"In our local police, they have been cooperative already but we have yet to see the results of their investigation," Villarino said.

The academe, civil society groups, and other sectoral groups also joined the dialogue.

Catherine Ruiz, network coordinator of Kaabag sa Sugbo, which spearheaded the event, hinted that non-government organizations are dissatisfied with the figures of slain criminals in police operations.

She said different human rights organizations also want to work with government in creating a mechanism to realize a concrete and transparent framework that can address the drug problem and protect the rights of people at the same time.

She said they also want to look into the progress of the investigations conducted by the police on the supposed EJK cases, as well as the internal investigations of police operations to see if cops followed their rules of engagement.

"We only see numbers. It's important to put the face of the victims and it is also important to put the face of the family that is left behind… Not only to surface the concerns but also to find ways forward," she said. (FREEMAN)