Ex-Senate Pres. Nene Pimentel urges people to stand up vs. police abuses 

Former Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. on Wednesday urged the people to stand up against police abuses amid the spate of killings of drug suspects.

"Having fought against a dictatorial form of government, ayaw ko sana na ang solusyon sa mga problema ng bayan ay ang baril," said Pimentel, 82, founder of PDP-Laban, the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte.

A political detainee during the Marcos regime, Nene is the father of Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, a political ally of Duterte. The elder Pimentel issued his statement during a forum on federalism in Quezon City.

"Importante na may mga tao na magsabi na hindi tama yung ginawa ninyo. Pag ang taumbayan hindi maninindigan, wala pong mangyayari. Ang kasamaan ng gobyerno, kung meron man, ay magpapatuloy," he said.

Pimentel said unjustified killings will continue "unless the people will stand up and say, hindi pupwede yan but it takes a lot of courage to do that."

Death toll

Records from the Philippine National Police showed that 402 drug suspects have been killed and nearly 600,000 others have surrendered from July 1 to August 2. Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30.

During the same period, 5,418 suspects have been arrested and 565,806 others have surrendered to authorities.

The police also conducted 223, 847 house visitations and implemented 427 search warrants. 

Extrajudicial killings

At the same news event, Pimentel said Duterte himself is against extrajudicial killings.

"Ang pakay ni President Digong is this [fight against drugs and criminality] should be done in accordance with the rule of law," he said.

He cited how during the presidential debate before the May 9 elections, Duterte stated that he is in favor of bringing back the death penalty in the country.

"Ang ibig sabihin niyan, pabor sya sa death penalty para ang mga kriminal patayin in accordance with law," Pimentel said.

Asked to comment about killings of drug suspects who allegedly fought against authorities after they were arrested, or what is called "nanlaban sa pulis" in Filipino, Pimentel said "it has to be factual," meaning the killing can only be justified if the suspect did actually fight against, and harm authorities.

"Pwedeng barilin kung lumalaban yan but not in other cases," Pimentel said. "It has to be in accordance with law."

Meanwhile, Pimentel said he is not in favor of the recent statement of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon that he will kill "idiots" in the Bureau of Customs of that is the only way to fight corruption in the agency.

"Hindi maganda kasi it can give the wrong impression especially sa mga tao, sa mga law enforcement agencies, may baril kami therefore ang solusyon sa problema ay barilin ang mga taong kriminal," Pimentel said.

Duterte will listen

Pimentel said he believes Duterte will listen to the opinions of the people if they speak out against abuses.

"Si President Digong ay politiko din yon. He will listen to the voice of the people," he said.

Pimentel then recounted the story of Rosa Parks, an African-American civil rights activist.

Called the "First Lady of Civil Rights" and the "Mother of Freedom Movement" in the US, Parks gained fame in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat in the bus for a White man. At the time, black people like Parks were discriminated and were forced to seat in the back of the bus. 

Parks, a seamstress, was arrested for sitting in the section allotted for White people. 

Pimentel noted that segregation in the US ended "all because one person stood up for the rights of one nation."

"Kaya yung karapatan ng tao laban sa mga excesses ng mga pulis o armed personnel ng gobyerno, kailangan panindigan ng taongbayan yon na hindi tama yon," he said. — RSJ, GMA News