On heels of P1k budget proposal OK in House, CHR ‘deeply disturbed’ by rise in youth killings

Despite a proposal from the House to give it a P1,000 budget next year for its alleged bias against the government's drug war, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday said it remained "deeply disturbed" by the recent spate of drug- and non-drug-related killings of minors.

In a statement, the CHR said that the rise in the incidents proved that the kilings are not "isolated cases" and deserved "serious [and] concrete actions" from the government.

"Whatever the reason may be, one death is still too many. The recent killing of Kian delos Santos, 17; Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19; Reynaldo de Guzman, 14; Raymart Siapo, 19; and Grace Omadlao, 16, raises serious concerns on the quality of protection that the government extends to our children," the CHR said.

"The Commission stands that the rights of our children — even the accused and adjudged for crimes, but most especially the innocent — must be consistently upheld and protected. Rights should never be sacrificed in the drive against criminality and should never be shrugged off when convenient," it added.

The PNP is in hot water after its personnel were linked to the recent killings of teenagers.

Delos Santos was killed in a police anti-illegal drug operation in Barangay 160, Caloocan City on August 16. Police claimed that Delos Santos had drew a gun and fired at them while chasing him, forcing them to fire back.

On August 28, Arnaiz was found in a Caloocan morgue with authorities claiming that he robbed a taxi driver and drew fire at them which prompted a shootout.

Meanwhile, De Guzman who is also known as "Kulot" was said to be the last person seen with Arnaiz. His body was found in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, bearing 30 stab wounds while his head wrapped in a packaging tape.

Siapo whose body yielded two sachets of shabu was shot to death in March. He was accosted by several armed men who told him to run but he couldn't because he had club feet.

Omadlao, on the other hand, was raped and killed in Pasig City.

Despite being granted a measly P1,000 budget for 2018 from the House of Representative, the Commission remained supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs despite

"We support the vision of the government’s drug campaign against illegal drugs to provide a better future for our children, but for whom are we doing this drive if they are all gone?," CHR said.

"Our children deserve better treatment. They ought to be given food and nourishment, not bullets in their bodies; they should be resting on clean, safe shelters, not lying cold in the streets; they need care and protection, not a life of violence," it added.

"It is only through our collective, genuine commitment that we can ensure the welfare our future generation. Together with all those vulnerable and voiceless, it is high-time for us to stand up for their rights." — MDM, GMA News