‘Only 3 of 100 EJKs in CL were legitimate’

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Central Luzon has docketed 100 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings related to Oplan Tokhang. Of these cases, only three were established as legitimate cases of fighting back or nanlaban.

Jasmin Regino, CHR director for Central Luzon, said yesterday that the cases were docketed on the basis of evidence that the victims did not actually resisted arrest – contrary to incidence reports – but were killed in a rubout.

The three legitimate nanlaban cases were all from Bulacan and were confirmed by relatives, who admitted to seeing the actual fight, she added.

“We rarely have relatives as complainant in these cases. We just pick up cases of EJKs from what comes out in the media. Then we ask the police for their reports and dig deeper to find out the truth,” Regino pointed out.

She noted that while the police have claimed over 500 nanlaban cases in Central Luzon, the commission docketed only 100 because of limited personnel and other resources. The office only has eight investigators.

“What we are doing is to make sure that we have gathered enough evidence on cases so that when we forward these to the Department of Justice or whichever appropriate agency, it would already be air-tight,” Regino said. 

She said CHR investigators are gathering more evidence as many relatives of victims insisted on a rubout rather than a legitimate Philippine National Police (PNP) operation against those suspected to be dealing illegal drugs.

However, none of them dared file formal complaints against policemen for fear of reprisal, she lamented.

“It seems there is always fear. Perhaps we have imbibed the culture of complacency. One can even say they just favor the anti-drugs campaign of the government or perhaps they are simply used to the killings,” Regino added.

As the PNP renews its Operation Tokhang, which mainly targets those involved in illegal drugs, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) issued several guidelines that may help the police in their operations.

These include the wearing of proper uniform, daytime raids to avoid miscommunication and misapprehension, courtesy and respect for the basic rights of suspects or subjects of warrants.

“It is important to bear in mind that while the basic concept of Oplan Tokhang is not illegal and can even promise to be an effective community-based tool in the campaign against widespread and deep-seated plague of illegal drugs in our country, it can, on the other hand, become a fascistic nightmare of police abuse and human rights violations that will only foster fear and hatred against our police officers instead of the respect and support that they should earn and receive,” said Rosario Setias Reyes, IBP national president.

National Bureau of Investigation spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said they could not as yet join the renewed campaign because the Department of Justice has not ordered them to do so.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones also urged parents to allow their schoolchildren to take the random drug tests “for your child’s protection” and that of future generations.

All Department of Education personnel, including more than 700,000 public school teachers nationwide, are required to submit to drug testing.

“No place is safe from the scourge of drugs. And if things happen in the department, our children are our most precious treasures… We have to take precautions because our children are at stake. They carry the hope of the country and we can’t expose them to the dangers (of illegal drugs),” Briones said.

In Pangasinan, acting provincial police director Senior Supt. Ronald Lee said they would dialogue with religious leaders to encourage them to participate in actual operations.

Although this is optional for priests and other religious people, “we encourage them to join us because after all, they have been very active in the first part of the Double Barrel campaign in the rehabilitation and reformation aspects through spiritual counseling,” Lee added. – With Edu Punay, Ghio Ong, Janvic Mateo, Eva Visperas