CHR still ‘optimistic’ PNP will open case folders on anti-drug war

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Saturday remained optimistic that the Philippine National Police (PNP) would still open its case folders despite President Rodrigo Duterte's refusal to do so.

"Aantayin pa rin namin yung sagot o tugon doon sa written letter request namin hanggang sa makita namin ng pormal yung pagtanggi ay nanatili pa rin yung aming optimism na pagbibigyan pa rin ng Commission doon sa kanyang hinihiling," CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline De Guia said in an interview on radio dzBB.

"Napaka-importante kasi na magkaroon ng transparency, truth at openness doon sa mga case folders na iyon na sinasabi natin na paano natin malalaman kung 'nanlaban' cases ba ang lahat ng mga iyon," she added.

De Guia said that it would also be "advantageous" for police authorities to open the case folders to show that the recent drug-related killings is not a "state-policy."

"'Pag pinakita ng Philippine National Police at DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) na sila ay bukas sa pakikipagtulungan, nangangahulugan na agad ito sa isang banda na hindi nila tinotolerate o hindi sila pumapayag sa mga patayan na ito," De Guia said.

"Very symbolic ito at napakaimportanteng hakbang na sana hindi nila mamiss yung opportunity na iyon. Kaya we welcome any move by the PNP and the DILG to continuously engage with the CHR kasi nakatutok diyan ang international community at tsaka at diyan natin makikita talaga na hindi sila sumasangayon, hindi state-policy yung nangyayaring patayan," she added.

She added that there are also other means for the DILG to help the commission on its investigations on the alleged extrajudicial killings, like participating in a "joint task force."

"Yung hinihingi nating mekanismo na magkaroon ng joint task force para magkaroon ng imbentaryo para lamang doon sa bilang ay magkaroon ng validation kasi hanggang sa ngayon eh iba iba yung bilang ng media, ng PNP at ng PSO. So isa rin yun na bagay na dapat tingnan aside from the case folders," De Guia said.

"Pangalawa naman ay hopefully hindi man yung case folders, at least yung ibang reports ay mabigyan ng access sa CHR at yung maintaining of open line of communication. Yung napagusapan na sana magkaroon ng monthly meeting para magkaroon ng pagunawa sa mga common terminologies and definitions, malaking bagay pa rin 'yun," she added.

Last month, Senator Panfilo Lacson ordered the Philippine National Police to submit to the committee on public order and dangerous drugs all of the case folders of killings that they are investigating.

The CHR had also requested for the case folders because some questions remained unanswered despite the police giving them their matrices.

However, Interior officer-in-charge Undersecretary Catalino Cuy said on Friday that Duterte did not allow the PNP to open its case folders to the CHR.

Cuy said that there was no assurance that the folder of a certain case would be given to the CHR as they need to seek clearance from the President on a case to case basis. — MDM, GMA News