CHR: Thousands have been killed in war on drugs, contrary to PNP claim

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday disagreed with how the Philippine National Police maintained that there are no extrajudicial killings (EJK) under President Rodrigo Duterte's administration.

In an interview on GMA News' "Hirit ni Mareng Winnie," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia reiterated that there have been thousands killed amid the administration's war against illegal drugs.

"Well, hindi po kami sumasangayon doon sa naging pahayag ng Philippine National Police na wala ni isang kaso ng extrajudicial killing mula ng nakalipas na taon. Kung susuriin natin lahat ng mga nangyari, lalong-lalo na 'yung mga insidente kaugnay sa kampanya laban sa droga, nakita natin libo-libo ang mga namatay kaugnay nito," De Guia said.

This came in after PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday backed the statement of PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos that there are zero cases of EJKs under the Duterte administration.

"Eto naman kasing EJK sinabi ng aming spokesman na there is no EJK. Eh totoo naman talaga kung basehan natin 'yung definition ng EJK. Mahirap naman doon, itong mga kritiko natin sa panahon nila sila gumawa ng definition ng EJK na 'yan. Ngayon na hindi na sila sa power, iba na 'yung nakaupo ngayon, gusto nila baguhin 'yung meaning ng EJK," Dela Rosa said at a press conference.

The PNP according to De Guia could not conclude that there have been no cases of EJKs under the present administration until homicide or drug-related killings have all undergone due process of law.

"At sinasabi natin na merong katanungan kung lahat ba ng mga ito ay dumaan sa proseso. Tatandaan natin na sa ating mga batas ngayon, ipinagbabawal ang pagpatay ng kahit sinumang tao at sabi natin justifying circumstance lang 'yung naglaban. At habang hindi pa ito dumadaan sa proseso ng hukuman para sabihin nila na totoo ngang nanlaban o hindi, hindi natin masasabi na walang EJK," she said.

De Guia, meanwhile, reiterated CHR's call to the PNP to remain "open and transparent" for investigation.

"Kaya nga ang panawagan natin to Philippine National Police ay maging open and transparent sa lahat ng mga imbestigasyon na ginagawa nila para malaman natin ang katotohanan. Habang hindi sila nagiging open at transparent sa kanilang mga imbestigasyon, hindi nila maaring sabihin na walang EJKs," she said.

Malacañang also defended the PNP against criticisms, saying that the operation guidelines stated under Administrative Order (AO) 35 was the basis of PNP's statement.

Under AO 35, EJKs are referred to as killings where “the victim was a member of, or affiliated with an organization, to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor, or similar causes; or an advocate of above-named causes; or a media practitioner or person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so."

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella also said that AO 35 considers a death as an EJK when the victim is "targeted and killed because of the actual or perceived membership, advocacy, or profession; or the person(s) responsible for the killing is a state agent or non-state agent; and the method and circumstances of attack reveal a deliberate intent to kill.”

Because AO 35 has not been replaced or revoked since it was adopted and signed by then President Benigno Aquino III on April 18, 2013, the definition remains.

The CHR, for its part, said that they follow the definition of the international human rights when it comes to the definition of EJK. De Guia said that EJK is "any killing by government forces outside the process of the law."

"Ine-encompass niya rin 'yung any killing by other groups or non-state actors which the government fails to investigate when it is in the position to do so. So doon po sa definition na iyon, sakop po niya 'yung police operation dahil 'yan po ay killings by government forces outside the process of the laws," she added.

De Guia said that vigilante killings also falls under EJK, citing that it is the obligation of the state to protect the people from it.

"Kasama rin po dito 'yung vigilante killing dahil obligasyon po ng estado na protektahan tayo laban sa mga vigilante killings at nasa posisyon naman po siya para imbestigahan ang mga ito at i-prevent," she said.

"At kung hindi man niya iniimbestigahan o na-prevent ito, maaari po itong i-construe as acquiescent o tolerance," she added.

Last month, PNP said that only 2.5 percent of the homicide cases in the country are drug-related.

Senior Superintendent Benjamin Adelio Castillo, chief of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management's Case Monitoring Division, said that of the 15,911 homicide cases they recorded from July 1, 2016 to September 15, 2017, a total of 6,129 have already been resolved while 9,782 are still under investigation. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KG, GMA News