Senators say killing of rights lawyer ‘worrisome,’ call for probe

Senators condemned the killing of human rights lawyer and founding member of the National Union of Peoples Lawyers-Negros (NUPL) Benjamin Ramos who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men Tuesday night in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.

Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the killing should be investigated and the full force of the law must be enforced.

“Any loss of life is unnecessary particularly in the performance of function. No human life should be lost in this country,” Zubiri said during the weekly forum Kapihan sa Senado.

“Lawyers, when they took their oath, they swore to uphold the law and defend the defenseless. Let us not promote culture of impunity,” he added.

Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the killing was very alarming and deplorable.

“Atty. Ramos’ gruesome death and the previous attacks against other lawyers are inevitably sending a frightening signal to the legal profession,” he said in a press statement.

“He (Ramos) is a great loss to the legal profession and the Filipino people, especially the oppressed whose rights he had bravely fought for all his life,” he added.

Ramos earlier took up the case of nine sugar workers who were killed in Negros Occidental province.

“That is worrisome. Who is safe now?” asked Drilon, adding that “if these killings do not stop and the perpetrators are not immediately brought to court, it will be detrimental to the rule of law.”

Zubiri exhorted the authorities and the Department of Justice to do everything to bring the perpetrators to justice in the swiftest possible time.

“It is imperative that a thorough investigation is launched in order to determine the motive behind the killing and identify those responsible for the killing,” he said.

“We must not let the culture of impunity to continue to prevail over the rule of law and our justice system. We can only do that if these killings are resolved and prevented. The police must have realized this now,” Drilon added.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said it is appalling when even those who defend the poor and voiceless become victim themselves of the lawlessness under the Duterte administration.

“We could not help but link his death to his work as human rights lawyer and his involvement in the case of the Sagay massacre,” he said in a separate press statement.

He also urged the authorities, particularly the National Bureau of Investigation, to thoroughly look into the incident and produce results.

“We will not allow impunity to reign by letting the perpetrators go unpunished. The killers and their masters should be brought before the bar of justice,” he said.

The minority senators earlier filed a resolution seeking to investigate the killing of the nine farmers. 

“In the hearings, we will certainly look into the death of lawyer Ben Ramos,” Pangilinan said. — LDF, GMA News