EDITORIAL - Opening the records

It was hailed as a “significant milestone” in the struggle for accountability in the Duterte administration’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs: the Philippine National Police would share its records on drug war killings with the Department of Justice.

The PNP counts nearly 8,000 drug suspects killed in police anti-narcotics operations since 2016. In President Duterte’s regular televised address last Monday, however, he expressed concern about the national security implications of releasing all records of police killings related to his war on drugs.

The DOJ and PNP subsequently announced that they were taking note of the President’s concern, and would focus the probe on 61 cases in which police officers were found to be administratively liable. The probe would determine if the officers may also be held criminally liable for the drug deaths.

The 61 was the original figure mentioned by the DOJ on May 24, but the PNP said two days later that it was ready to open records of all the cases. Still, the return to the 61 cases – pruned down to 53 because the PNP said the eight were being appealed by the police officers – inevitably bolstered the initial doubts over the move.

Skeptics had said the opening of the records by the PNP was meant merely to blunt efforts to get the International Criminal Court to proceed with a formal probe of human rights violations in the conduct of the campaign against prohibited drugs in the Philippines. The ICC is expected to announce its decision this month.

Critics have pointed to a Supreme Court resolution issued in 2019, declaring that “it is simply ridiculous to claim that these information and documents on police operations against drug pushers and users involve national security matters.” The resolution was in response to petitions filed by two groups, seeking access to documents on killings related to the war on drugs.

Malacañang has clarified that the President was concerned mainly with sensitive information involving live anti-drug operations. The records in question, however, pertain to operations that are over and resulted in deaths. Any killing by the police requires a thorough investigation. It’s not yet too late to turn this initiative into a truly significant milestone in public accountability.