Opening Statement of Senator De Lima During Senate Inquiry on EJK

Opening statement of Senator Leila m. De Lima during the senate inquiry, 22 August 2016, on the spate of extrajudicial killings and summary executions.

Magandang umaga po sa lahat.

Noong ikalawa ng Agosto, sa akin pong privilege speech dito sa Senado, inilahad natin ang nakaka-alarmang usapin ng laganap at karumal-dumal na mga patayan sa ating bayan. Hindi lang ito naging laman ng balita sa ating bansa; sa buong mundo, pinag-uusapan din tayo.

Tulad ng marami sa atin, nababahala ako sa kaliwa’t kanang patayan na inaalmusal natin kada umaga. Araw-araw na lang ang balitang may bagong napatay dahil nanlaban daw o nang-agaw ng baril ang biktima. Marami na rin po ang pinaslang ng di kilalang mga salarin na kinabibilangan malamang ng mga vigilante– binalot ng packaging tape at pinatungan ng cardboard na may mensaheng “Pusher, holdaper ako. Wag tularan.”

Nais po nating malaman ang katotohanan sa likod ng mga nasabing patayan at karahasan. Ano nga ba ang tunay na nangyari, at bakit patuloy itong nangyayari?

Hindi ko sinasabing ang lahat ng nagaganap na pagpatay sa operasyon ng mga pulis ay walang legal na batayan sa paggamit ng lethal force. Masyado lang marami ngayon ang napapatay sa mga engkwentro kumpara sa mga nakaraang panahon para hindi magduda kung nasusunod ba talaga ang rules of engagement.

Doon naman sa usapin ng vigilante killings o pagpatay ng mga di kilalang salarin, hindi rin natin sinasabi na may kinalaman ang gobyerno sa pagkalat ng mga death squad. May indikasyon na hindi lahat ng mga pagpaslang ay may kaugnayan sa kampanya laban sa droga ng gobyerno. Mayroong mga nakikisakay at nakikisabay lang sa lehitimong operasyon ng kapulisan para makatakas sa batas at para pagtakpan ang kanilang partisipasyon sa kalakalan ng droga. Kailangan po nating malaman kung ang sinasabing mga vigilante killings sa buong bansa ay magkaka-ugnay, at bunsod ng isang organisadong pagkilos ng mga indibidwal o grupo, sa loob o labas man ng gobyerno.

As I have said, my concern does not only revolve around the growing tally of killings reported by the Philippine National Police (PNP). What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity.

Last August 18, Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa reported to the Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs that there are 665 drug suspects killed in police operations from July 1 to August 15. But what is even more disturbing is that in the same hearing, the PNP Chief stated that there are 899 drug-related deaths committed by unknown killers during the same period. Out of this figure, only 22 cases were filed in NCRPO.

Grabe ito! Katumbas po yun ng tatlumpu’t limang (35) tao na patay kada araw.

Certain media outlets report different figures. The ABS-CBN Research and Investigative Group cites that there are 1,127 alleged drug offenders killed from May 10 to August 19. According to the report, 682 were killed during police operations, while 351 suspects were killed by unidentified assailants.

GMA News and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, as shown on the screen, also tallied different numbers.

How do we account for these differences? Why are there killings in such magnitude? What provides for the seeming continued impunity of those behind vigilantism and summary executions?

Bukod pa sa mga tanong na ito, mahalaga pong malaman: Sino ang mga biktima? Sino-sino ang pumapatay? Saan ito nangyayari? May imbestigasyon ba o kasong isinasampa pagkatapos ng insidente? Aling ahensya ang nag-iimbestiga? Saan po ba hahantong ang kampanyang ito?

These are the questions that disturb me, both in my capacity as Senator and as a Filipino. These are the same questions that the Filipino people would like to have answered. There is no indication that these statistics on killings of alleged drug suspects will go down anytime soon. How many people need to die before we act to correct this alarming situation?

Buhay po ng tao ang pinag-uusapan dito, hindi lang basta numero. Sa bawat natagpuang bangkay sa kalsada, may nawalan ng kapatid, magulang, at asawa, may naulilang pamilya, may gumuhong kinabukasan at pag-asa.

I strongly believe: Extrajudicial or extralegal killings, whether perpetrated by the State or by non-state actors must stop. Blatant disregard for human life has to stop.

It is for these reasons that we hold this Senate Inquiry in aid of legislation to address the rampant summary executions of alleged drug suspects.

We have invited witnesses, families and relatives of the victims who will be allowed to share under oath their stories and accounts of the alleged killings. Their corresponding testimonies are supported by their respective affidavits which will be forwarded to the proper agencies for investigation and / or prosecution.

Mayroon po tayong labindalawang (12) saksi sa walong (8) kaso ng pagpatay na may labing-isang (11) mga biktima. Malinaw po na ang mga kasong ito ay maliit na bahagi lamang ng mahigit isanlibong insidente ng pagpatay sa operasyon ng mga pulis o ng mga hindi kilalang salarin. Sa pamamagitan nila, nais natin na malaman ang kuwento sa likod ng mga insidente ng pagpatay. Hindi po natin layunin na imbestigahan ang lahat ng kaso ng pagpatay, kung hindi bigyan ng linaw lamang ang mga tanong na bumabalot sa ating isipan tungkol sa mga pangyayaring ito. Mahirap din pong makahanap at makakuha ng mga saksi na kusang loob na magtetestigo sa harap ng publiko. Ang iilan na haharap sa atin sa pagdinig na ito ay lumapit sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) upang humingi ng tulong sa pagpaslang sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.

Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa CHR sa pamumuno ni Chair Chito Gazcon, at nandito po sila bilang resource speakers.

We also invited the leadership of the PNP, headed by Director General dela Rosa, to serve as resource speakers, as well as members of the academe, various non-government organizations and media networks.

Let this be clear: The Senate is not a court of law, or a quasi-judicial body. This Senate investigation is in aid of legislation, where the technical rules of evidence are not strictly applied. Our focus here is on the criminal acts to be addressed, not on the prosecution of the alleged perpetrators.

The following are our objectives:

1. to determine or check on the abuses committed by law enforcers conducting operations in pursuit of those who are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade;

2. to reinforce our legal regime to address the phenomenon of vigilantism and summary killings;

3. to enhance legal mechanisms of accountability of state and non-state actors;

4. to strengthen the roles and responsibilities of relevant government agencies, especially the Commission on Human Rights, the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP, the Ombudsman, and the National Bureau of Investigation, that are mandated to investigate cases of extrajudicial killings and summary executions that are perpetrated and/or tolerated by public officers; and

5. to institute legislative measures to ensure that fundamental rights, especially the right to life, are respected by authorities.

A. These five-fold agenda of PSR No. 9 can be subsumed under a general goal of improving our system of laws in connection with the prevention and investigation of extrajudicial killings and summary executions, and those that relate to the mechanisms of accountability for those involved in these abhorrent activities.

B. What accounts for the weakness in the legal system? What is the explanation for the “reality-law” gap in the prevention and investigation of this type of killings? What provides for the seeming continued impunity of those behind vigilantism and summary executions? Are our laws sufficient to address these problems? Or, are our current set of laws being implemented properly to deal with such phenomenon?

These are the bottom line questions in the incoming inquiry.

Sa imbestigasyong ito, sisikapin nating malaman: Sapat ba ang umiiral na batas para tugunan ang patuloy na tumataas na bilang ng extrajudicial killings sa bansa? Kung sapat ang ating mga batas, maayos ba itong ipinapatupad para masigurong hindi ito inaabuso ng ilang tiwaling grupo o personalidad?

Linawin ko lang po: Hindi layunin ng imbestigasyong ito na pigilin o pahinain ang kampanya laban sa droga ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. Nais pa nating palakasin ito, habang sinisigurong walang batas na nilalabag, walang karapatang niyuyurakan, at walang buhay na nilalapastangan.

Gusto din nating patibayin pa ang kakayahan ng ating mga kapulisan sa paglaban sa droga, sa pamamagitan ng mga panukalang batas upang gabayan sila sa tamang pagtupad ng tungkulin.

Hinihikayat ko po ang lahat na subaybayan ang mga pagdinig na ito ng Senado; samahan ninyo kaming suriin, imbestigahan, at tukuyin ang katotohanan, tungo sa mas payapa, mas makatarungan, at makataong lipunan.

Maraming salamat po. ●