Opening Statement of Senator Cayetano During Senate Probe on ‘EJK’

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice but when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn.”

I’m not talking about the Aquinos, Arroyos or the Dutertes. When the drug lords rule; people mourn. But when the law enforcers, the righteous are the one ruling, walang patayan, may katihimikan sa ating bansa.

It is being made to appear in the media, and with no help by some so called human rights advocates, that grabe ang patayan araw-araw. Please take note from 2010-2015 during the Aquino administration, an average of 35 ang patay araw-araw. Ngayon po, sa ilalim ni Presidente Duterte, bente po. More than… about a third are now… their lives are now being saved everyday because of the effort of the PNP.

The old norm was drug lords and their cohorts acted with impunity. People have low trust sa PNP, fiscals, judges, high ranking government officials …are involved in the illegal trade, or protectors. And people, hindi nakakadama na sila’y secured sa kanilang bahay, sa kalye, sa kanilang trabaho. Ngayon po, the respect and fear of the law has been restored. Drug lords and their supporters are on the run, people are beginning to feel safe, renewed trust on our law enforcers and government under President Duterte.

Are we using the term ‘extra judicial killings’ loosely to discredit the PNP and the Duterte administration? Whether it is the Commission on Human Rights or our dear chairperson, I was hoping that they would educate the people more and the media. Para hindi sila mamislead na lahat ng patay ay extra judicial killings. Bakit po?

Eto po ang sinabi ng dalawang Justice “there is a need for a clear-cut meaning of what “extra judicial killings” is. The name is a misnomer since every killing, outside death penalty, is extra judicial,” dalawang Justice po ang nagsabi niyan.

So ano po ang ginawa ng Aquino administration? Gumawa po sila ng AO 35. Di ko na babasahin dahil 5 minutes lang ang oras ko. Dito po ang importante, “the victim was a member or affiliated of an organization to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor or similar causes; an advocate of the above named causes or a media practitioner etc.” Ibig sabihin po, labor leader ka, media ka, religious leader, pinatay ka dahil sa paniniwala mo. That’s why it’s very clear for the purpose of the focus mandate of AO 35 na ginawa ng Aquino administration, ang common criminals at ang crime sa kanila ay di kasama sa extra judicial killings.

Yan po ang pirma ng dating secretary De Lima, Department of Justice, IAC Chair. So alam po nila yan, lahat ng nagpapainterview sa CHR at ang ating mahal na Chairperson, alam po nila yan.

Sa araw araw na patayan sa Aquino administration na 35, mahigit 1400, 394 lang ang clinassify nila na extra judicial killing. Pero sa umpisa pa lang ng hearing na to, kung anu-ano ng numero ang narinig natin eh. Did they clarify which one is extra judicial and not? Which one are common criminals?

Kaya ano ho ba ang sabi ng isa nilang kakampi na Human Rights Watch? Unresolved or basically failure ang kanilang watch pag dating sa pagreresolve ng extra judicial killings. Eh ba’t hindi yun muna ang imbestigahan natin bago yung sa extra judical killings ngayon? O okay lang dati ngayon masama?

People are now beginning to feel safe in the streets, and trust our law enforcers. Beginning, hindi ko po sinasabing safe lahat pero nag uumpisa na.

Kung makikita po ninyo ang crime volume, ayan po. Di ko na po babasahin isa isa because of lack of time pero makikita niyo, crimes against property, 11,000 to 6,000 in one month. Bakit po?

Ang mga pusher at tsaka user kailangan ng pera, walang trabaho yung marami diyan, nagnanakaw. But because nag susurrender na yung mga user, nahuhuli ang pusher, pababa ang crime volume.

People support the anti drugs war, criminals don’t. Ang mga criminal at drug pusher gumagastos ngayon, sa media, sa pulitika, sa politiko, sa kahit ano para i-discredit ang administration na ‘to. Para nga tumuloy kanilang multi-billion na negosyo. I’m not saying that everyone is being used, marami pong honest advocates for human rights. Honest advocates of how to do this better. But let us not fool ourselves, marami din sa mag drug lords ang pumopondo dito.

Hindi rin totoo na ang lahat ng sector ayaw. Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad is pinning his hopes on the new president. This is another one na nagsasabing maganda ang nangyayari at kahit hindi pa nakaupo ang bagong presidente after he won, nagsimula na ang mga pulis na magsipag at tumapang.

Anti-drug operations, 215% increase in anti-drug operation, I agree with the chairperson. Hindi intensyon ng committee na to pahintuan yan; ang problema - the way to hell is full of good intentions. It is not the intention; it is the effect. Ang mga pulis, nanunuod lahat. At kung lalabas na sila pa kontrabida ngayon, baka yung iba umatras. Kaya hindi mo mapigilan ang ating pangulo na maging emosyonal sa kanyang 100% support. Next slide, anti-drug arrest, next slide. The average Aquino haul for drugs, 412 million a month. So far, the average for Duterte, 2.3 billion in 48 days.

They say we are drawing flak from various sectors.

Tignan niyo po to. The Philippine war sa ABS-CBN. Outrage over extrajudicial killings. Yung outrage nuh, ano pinapalabas? Na lahat nalang ng patay ay extrajudicial killings, na may outrage. Pero yung news, na sa sulok sulok ng ating bansa, masaya ang mga tao, saan yun?

Dito sa Inquirer, the Kill List ang tawag nila. During the Aquino administration, mas marami ang patay, may kill list ba kayo? Pero ngayon sa Duterte administration, gumawa pa kayo ng sariling niyong pangalan, “The Kill List.”

Paano po hindi sasama ang loob ng ating mga alagad ng batas - ng NBI, PDEA, Pulis - na noong panahon na walang ginagawa doon sa araw-araw na patayan eh okay lang? Ang tawag niyo - riding in tandem, ang tawag niyo, ganit.. murder, homicide.

Ngayon na may ginagawa sila at mas konte ang patay, kill list ang tawag.

Lastly, madam chair, have we ever asked the PNP what they need? I was hoping when I suggested this in our first hearing sana bago tayo maghearing, at akusahan sila, patawag muna natin. Ano kelangan niyo? Sweldo niyo, nakapababa. Kelangan niyo ba ng mga equipment?

Alam niyo po ba sa ilalim ng batas, 201 dapat ang pulis natin. Kulang ng 40,000 na pulis.

Ang sweldo ng pulis, 4,834. Eto pong combat pay P11.00 a day. Sa pulis po, 9.33 a day. Eh, sampung piso, softdrinks lang yun eh. Ni bottled water, hindi kayo makakabili.

So madam chair, I’ll stop there because of lack of time but the point I’m making… can you go to the next slide first…

(De Lima: Is this the last point?)

This last slide…

(De Lima: Let’s wrap up. Time is up…)

Here madam chair. Wala po akong problema, dahil ako’y isang human rights advocate din, kung indiscriminate o ang pulis ay may utos na wag niyong gawin ito. Pero titingnan niyo po, mismong PNP ang may memorandum na nagsabi na lahat ng unexplained, lahat ng vigilante, imbestigahan. Kaya hindi ko na ipapakita dahil wala ng time, pero yung last slide ko po dito ay ang statement ng ating Pangulo at statement ni Chief PNP Ronaldo de Rosa… Ronald dela Rosa, alias “Bato”, yan nagsasabi, ayan po, “ayoko ng extra judicial killings.”

So thank you madam chair that we said we will be fair. But sana sa mga interviews at mga kapatid natin sa media, maging fair din. Kasi panay ang report niyo na ayaw ng Pangulo, na gusto ng Pangulo at ng PNP ng extra judicial. Pero ayan po ang sinasabi; yan ang official.

Thank you, madam chair. ●