Fight police abuses in drug war, Pinoys urged

MANILA, Philippines - The Liberal Party (LP) called on Filipinos yesterday to fight police abuses reportedly committed in the course of the administration’s war on drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands of suspects since President Duterte assumed office on June 30 last year.

In a statement, the LP asked the people to fight the “darkness” in the country in the same way they fought the dictatorship and ousted the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

“In the brutal war on drugs of the government now, no one is being held accountable for the killings. We should let our voices be heard. We must be brave. We must fight the darkness,” the LP said.

The party apparently likened the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos by policemen in Caloocan City last week to the assassination of former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983 that sparked the EDSA People Power revolution leading to Marcos’ overthrow.

The police claimed that Delos Santos was a runner for drug pushers and was killed after he allegedly shot it out with police.

However, a nearby closed circuit television (CCTV) camera as well as witnesses in the neighborhood indicated that he did not resist arrest and the policemen carried the victim to a corner and shot him dead.

Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday called on the Filipino clergy to take a more active part in rebuilding the country.

“The country needs you now more than at any other time in our history,” Robredo said in her speech at the third Grand Alumni Homecoming of the St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa, Batangas.

“I believe you will be a big help for the healing of our nation,” she said. “In spite of the difficulties, we have a responsibility to perform, and we have to do it well.”

Robredo on Sunday raised concern over the spate of killings in the country as she denounced the shooting of Delos Santos during anti-illegal drug operations in Caloocan City last week.

She urged an independent investigation on the incident, amid contradicting claims between the police and witnesses, along with footage caught on the barangay’s CCTV.

The Vice President also reiterated her call for the administration to rethink its approach in the fight against illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, in a speech before members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Bicolandia over the weekend, Robredo urged lawyers to stand up for those who cannot fight for themselves.

She said there is a need to confront the apparent emergence of “a dangerous mentality that freedoms are dispensable in the name of order and safety.”

“I seriously believe that as lawyers, it is critical that we must take up the fight for those who cannot fight for themselves,” she said. 

Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, a member of the LP, said it was disheartening that the country’s leaders appear to be condoning the drug-related killings.

“We’ve seen the abuse of power by the PNP. We want to see change. We want to see justice. How many more Kians will happen before we think and wake up?” Aquino said.

Senate resolution

The Senate is expected to pass today a resolution signed by members of the majority bloc on Sunday night condemning the recent spate of abuses by the police and calling for an immediate investigation into the surge of drug-related killings.

The resolution, however, did not mention either Duterte or Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa in its condemnation and call for the PNP to immediately put a stop to summary executions.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is expected to lead the probe as chairman of the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said aside from investigating alleged police abuses, the panel will also look into other possible reasons for the killings, including whether they are state-sponsored or not.

“We must be very careful in the Senate in coming up with conclusions. We must be thorough and the evidence must be fool-proof because the implications of the killings being state-sponsored are grave,” Lacson said.

The inquiry may start this week or next week, depending on the approval of the resolution, he said.

He said senators were alarmed over the surge in drug-related killings in the past days, especially with the death of Delos Santos.

The Senate had earlier investigated the so-called Davao death squad as well as the killing of mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte. The conclusions were that the killings were not an official policy of the administration.

“We’ll see if those findings are still valid. Maybe things have changed or maybe we did not notice the incidents were state-sponsored and there is a pattern pointing to that,” Lacson said.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said he expects the chamber to remain independent even as he vowed to ferret out the truth in Delos Santos’ death.

“I assure our people that we’ll do our best to bring out the truth, and achieve justice for those who have been victims of abuses,” Ejercito said.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, one of the senators who drafted the resolution, found it refreshing that his colleagues were one in condemning the killings.

Sen. Francis Escudero said he would closely scrutinize the statements of the police officers involved in Delos Santos’ killing and the testimonies of other witnesses who have also been invited to the inquiry.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said the senators are generally supportive of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign but they are worried over the seeming impunity of some members of the PNP.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the committee on justice, included in the resolution an order to the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to finish within 15 days any investigation of a police officer involved in engagements that result in death.

Gordon noted the IAS has been sluggish in investigating cases. Worse, the agency had found mitigating circumstances that exonerated police officers in certain cases when they are not seemingly justified.

“The President needs to protect the people first before the police because the police are legally armed,” Gordon said. “The people need to be assured.”

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he would file a bill requiring policemen to wear body cameras to collect video footage of all drug raids implemented by authorities.

Bishops condemn killings 

Following the lead of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas, two more prelates also condemned the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country.

Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, Quezon City said, “The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao strongly condemned the recent spate of killings that has been happening in our country.” – With Helen Flores, Evelyn Macairan, Mayen Jaymalin, Rhodina Villanueva, Rainier Allan Ronda