Roque sees nothing wrong with PNP releasing drug war data for UN report

Former presidential spokesperson and human rights lawyer Harry Roque sees nothing wrong with the Philippine National Police (PNP) releasing data on killings linked to anti-drug operations if they have nothing to hide.

Atty. Roque: Ang mga pulis kung wala naman dapat itago, ibigay na lamang nila ang mga datos na mayroon. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g

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"Sa akin, siguro ang pinakamagandang gawin na rin ng ating kapulisan, kung wala naman silang tinatago sa mga imbestigasyon, ihanda nila ang mga datos at ibigay na rin nila sa High Commissioner ng Human Rights 'yung mga datos," he said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Saturday.

"Doon nila maipapakita na karamihan naman talaga ng mga namamatay ay nanlaban," he added.

Roque was weighing in on a resolution adopted the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which instructed UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet to write a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines and present it to the council. 

As the report will look into thousands of deaths linked to the Duterte administration's drug war, PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde claimed there was no need to do so as the country's own Commission of Human Rights was capable of investigating the matter.

As to whether the PNP would provide data to the UNHCR in line with the resolution, Albayalde said he would leave the decision to higher authorities.

"Kung sa akin, wala namang masama na ilabas ng kapulisan ang datos nila dahil hindi naman ito imbestigasyon at sinasabi naman ni General Albayalde na nandiyan 'yung mga datos na 'yan," Roque said.

"At pinapatunayan ko naman na kada-kaso na may namamatay ay meron po talagang case file na nagko-contain ng lahat ng ebidensya kung bakit nanlaban," he added. —Margaret Claire Layug/KG, GMA News