CHR to probe Laguna cops’ killing of 16-yr-old boy

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday said it would investigate the police's killing of a 16-year-old boy during an anti-drug operation in Biñan, Laguna.

CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia expressed “deep concern” at the death of teenager Johndy Maglinte and his companion Antonio Dalit.

“We shall be conducting our own independent probe on this incident to pursue the truth behind the incident and, more importantly, in pursuit of justice should it be proven that a human rights violation was perpetrated by the police,” she said in a statement.

Cops claimed that Maglinte and Dalit fought back (“nanlaban”) against police who were serving a drug-related arrest warrant for the latter.

The family of Maglinte, however, denied the claim.

"Ang kuwento nakarating sa akin, nakaposas na si Jhondy at nagmamakaawa siya [na] huwag patayin pero pinatay pa rin nila (I was told that Jhondie was handcuffed and begging the police not to kill him, but they still killed him)," the teenager’s aunt, Nylla Maglinte, told GMA News Online.

The CHR urged the government anew to fast-track its investigation into extrajudicial killings, especially those linked to the drug war.

“Notably, there was already an observation from the UN Human Rights Office on the ‘widespread and systematic killing of thousands of alleged drug suspects’ and the persistent impunity in the country that urgently need to be addressed,” De Guia said.

“It is to the best interest of the government as well to demonstrate that lapses are firmly and urgently addressed and that reforms are also underway to allay concerns of the international community on the effectiveness of our domestic justice and accountability mechanisms,” she added.

Outgoing International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda earlier sought authorization to launch a full investigation into drug war killings in the Philippines.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Chitaddel Gaoiran, spokesman for the Police Regional Office 4A, said they are open to invesigations.

“Actually po ay automatic pong may gagawing investigation ang Internal Affairs Service ‘pag ganyan pong operation at may namatay para po malaman kung nasunod po ng mga pulis ang SOP at wala silang nalabag sa procedure (The Internal Affairs Service automatically investigates operations involving deaths to see whether any procedures were violated)," he said. -MDM, GMA News