Senate probe on involvement of PNP in extrajudicial killings sought

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a resolution directing the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs to conduct an inquiry into the alleged involvement of some members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in extrajudicial killings.

Senate Resolution 201 seeks to revisit the PNP Reform Act to ensure that the mandate of the police to "Serve and Protect" remains upheld.

Trillanes cited a report from British newspaper The Guardian where a senior police officer revealed that he is a part of one the highly secretive special operations coordinated to execute a list of targets including suspected drug users, dealers and criminals.

"Whereas, he claimed that he is personally involved in 87 killings in the past three months and that they plaster masking tape around the head of the corpse, place a sign that reads 'drug lord' or 'pusher', and then dump then in the next town or under a bridge," the resolution read.

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The senator also cited the case of Citizens Crime Watch Regional Chairperson Zenaida Luz who was shot by a "riding in tandem" who turned out to be two junior police officers.

"(T)he alleged involvement of the members of the PNP in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings should immediately be investigated in order to come up with remedial legislation to ensure that the members of the PNP do not use their authority, training and power in committing what could be considered as illegal and criminal activities," Trillanes said.

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The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights recently ended its probe into the alleged extrajudicial and summary killings of drug suspects.

Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon terminated the inquiry after six hearings upon the motion of some senators.

“We are terminating the investigation as far as recent and rampant killings are concerned. We already learned enough to enable us to craft proposed measures that would improve law enforcement procedures in the country,” Gordon said.

The Senate panel is expected to release a report which clears President Rodrigo Duterte of any involvement in the summary executions.